* * *

“Wait a second… You weren’t thinking something inappropriate, were you?”

“What?! No!”

“Honestly, you’ve been thinking about things like that more often lately, haven’t you?”

“Shut your mouth already, will you?”

“Honestly, if it’s not that, why are you so startled? I just said we should go somewhere quiet.”

“No, it’s just, uh…”

Remy rummaged through his mind for a convincing excuse.

“I thought maybe… a ghost might show up! You know, if we go somewhere deserted, and a ghost suddenly appears or something, that’s what I was worried about!”

Even as the words left his mouth, Remy knew how pathetic his excuse sounded, so he shut his mouth.

Damn it, whatever.

It’s not like acting like this in front of him is anything new.

Deciding to brazen it out, Remy quickly steeled himself.

Shamelessness.

It seemed like an essential trait if he was going to stick around Ashton for long.

“Anyway, let’s just go somewhere suitable to practice. If you want something naughty, I’ll indulge you anytime, but today, let’s focus on shooting.”

“I don’t want that! I’ve never wanted that!”

“Sure. Right. If the urge hits you later or something, just let me know anytime.”

“You’re insane.”

There was no way to respond nicely.

Following behind Ashton as he walked ahead nonchalantly, Remy mulled over a random thought: ‘Where the hell does that insufferable alpha’s confidence even come from?’

‘Well, first of all… his face. Yeah, his face. Honestly, it’s pretty good-looking. Hmm… no, it’s really good-looking… Hmm… no, it’s not just his face. His physique is honestly amazing too… Hmm… with a face and a body like that… Hmm…’

“Remy, what are you doing?”

“Ahhh!”

Caught scrutinizing Ashton from head to toe, lost in his internal evaluation, Remy let out a startled yelp that echoed through the quiet mountainside when Ashton turned around to look at him.

“What the hell! Why would you do that? You scared me!”

Despite Remy’s over-the-top reaction, Ashton barely flinched.

He just lowered his gaze halfway, looking at Remy as if he were utterly pathetic.

“Hey. Get it together.”

“What?”

“You were rolling down a hill just yesterday. You should at least watch where you’re walking.”

“I wasn’t that careless.”

“I told you already. You can fool people, but you can’t fool pheromones.”

Oh…!

Somehow, without realizing it, his pheromones must have leaked out again.

He wasn’t even thinking anything risqué, yet his damn pheromones seemed to be spilling out on their own.

Remy’s cheeks flushed.

Lately, whenever he stood in front of Ashton, everything just went to hell.

“No, it’s just, um…”

“Forget it, just watch your step. The path here is slippery.”

“Yeah…”

No sooner had Remy answered than he lost his footing.

“Ah!”

Though his body might have been clumsy, his reflexes were still decent.

As he toppled forward, Remy managed to grab onto Ashton’s thigh.

‘Whew. That was close. I almost ended up in real trouble. Could’ve been a straight ticket to the afterlife.’

Thanks to Ashton’s sturdy thigh, Remy narrowly avoided disaster.

Feeling oddly proud of himself for avoiding catastrophe, he began to push himself upright, still holding onto Ashton’s thigh.
‘Hmm… How much does this guy work out? His legs are so thick, and the muscles are so defined. He must’ve put in some serious effort to get thighs like these. How much do you have to train to end up with a pillar like this on your thighs…?’

That’s when it hit him.

‘Wait, hold on. A pillar…?’

Horrified, Remy glanced down at the thigh he was gripping.

He was practically hugging Ashton’s thick, muscular thigh while the guy walked ahead.

And there, right under his hand, was something long and firm sticking out prominently.

It took mere seconds for the realization to dawn on him.

Snatching his hand back as if burned, Remy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and stammered, “It’s just… your thigh happened to be right there. I didn’t mean to grab it or anything.”

At that, Ashton, who had been silent until now, turned around.

With an arrogant gaze, he looked down at Remy and casually remarked, “I told you, didn’t I? If you need something, just ask. Don’t make it obvious by grabbing at me.”

This lunatic… Remy gawked, completely at a loss for words. Before he could recover, Ashton took a step closer.

Half-lidded eyes fixated on him, Ashton leaned in.

Remy’s heart thudded wildly.

On the deserted forest path, with only his pounding heartbeat to break the silence, Remy found himself face-to-face with Ashton.

Ashton’s face inched closer, so close now their noses might touch.

Slowly, Ashton reached out a hand toward Remy’s face.

“W-what are you doing…?”

Remy stammered, his voice shaky as he instinctively stepped back.

But the more he retreated, the closer Ashton drew.

“Ah!”

When Remy nearly toppled over again, Ashton easily caught him, his arm wrapping around Remy’s waist.

The sudden movement caused Remy’s upper body to arch back slightly, leaving him in a precariously romantic position.

It might’ve looked like a scene straight out of a romance novel, but Remy was far too flustered to notice.

‘Damn it! This pose is dangerous…!’

“Remy.”

“Y-yeah?”

“Why are you so tense?”

“Me? Tense?”

“Yeah. You flinch every time I get close.”

“No, it’s just that…” Remy flailed for an explanation.

“Then stop getting so close! Anyone would be startled if someone with a face like yours kept leaning in like that!”

“Oh… so you think I’m good-looking?”

“Wha—what?!”

Remy wanted to slap himself for his runaway mouth.

“Anyway! That’s not what I meant!”

His ears burning red, Remy turned his head away, scrunching up his face to swallow down his embarrassment.

‘Ugh. This is so humiliating. What the hell is this situation?’

Ashton stared at him in silence for a moment before chuckling under his breath.

‘What the hell? He’s laughing?!’

With his face blazing, Remy shot Ashton a glare, trying to convey how upset he was.

Unfortunately, to Ashton, it probably looked more like a puppy’s feeble attempt at being intimidating.

Finally, Ashton tightened the arm around Remy’s waist, pulling him closer while his free hand reached up toward Remy’s face.

As Ashton’s large hand—big enough to easily cover Remy’s entire face—moved closer, Remy’s heart pounded harder than ever.

Leaves swirled around them as a late summer breeze swept through the forest.

Against the backdrop of such an enchanting scene, Ashton standing there with an arm wrapped around Remy’s waist didn’t even feel real.

It felt like a dream.

Then Ashton spoke, breaking the spell.

“There.”

Before Remy even realized it, Ashton had plucked a leaf from his bangs.

Letting go of Remy’s waist, Ashton turned and began walking again as if nothing had happened.

“Oh…”

Only then did Remy grasp what had just occurred.

Ashton had simply removed a leaf from his hair, while Remy had been catastrophizing the entire time.

The wave of embarrassment was almost unbearable.

“Let’s go. We’re falling behind.”

Fortunately—or unfortunately—Ashton didn’t seem to notice Remy’s mortification.

Or maybe he did and was just pretending not to.

Whatever the case, in that moment, Remy was a little grateful to Ashton.

If Ashton had teased him outright, he might’ve actually died of shame.

“How about over there? Looks good, don’t you think, Remy?”

Ashton walked for a few more minutes before pointing to a flat clearing midway up the mountain.

“Here,” he said.

Remy nodded.

Honestly, did the location even matter?

What was important was learning how to fire a gun quickly and getting back down.

“Remy, you really don’t remember anything, right? Not how to hold a gun or even how to aim?”

Remy nodded again.

“Got it. I’ll teach you from scratch.”

Ashton took one of the two rifles slung over his shoulder and handed it to Remy.

While Remy stood there blankly holding the weapon, Ashton set down the other rifle he was carrying.

“First, I’ll show you the proper stance. Stand facing forward, then turn your body about 45 degrees.”

Remy followed Ashton’s instructions, standing straight and angling his body slightly.

Ashton then grabbed Remy’s hips to adjust his position.

“Remember this. The angle of your heels has to align with your hips and shoulders. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

Trusting Ashton, Remy let him guide his posture.

* * *