Chapter 107: Imprinting Pain

A familiar pain struck, and Han-geon snapped awake.

By the time his mind cleared, a well-known heat was already crawling up his body like a snake, coiling tightly around him.

“Haah, ugh, huff…”

Judging by how dark the room still was, dawn had yet to break.

This was bad.

Han-geon frowned and tried to steady his breathing.

It was almost strange how he had managed to sleep at all, because his entire body was soaked in cold sweat.

Thinking bitterly that he was even starting to get used to this damn sensation, Han-geon wrapped his arms around himself.

The feeling of being set on fire and the sensation of being thrown into extreme cold coexisted in contradiction.

In that bizarre temperature he could not tell was hot or cold, Han-geon trembled uncontrollably.

“Ugh, hh, ngh…”

No matter how hard he tried to endure it, moans slipped through his clenched teeth.

It was fine.

He had been through this countless times already.

If he just held on a little longer, this too would eventually pass.

So just a little longer…

“…Ah, ugh.”

Still, it was hard to shake the feeling that this pain, which so mercilessly ravaged his body, was growing more vicious with each passing day.

Even the sounds spilling from his mouth shook violently.

His lower abdomen throbbed as if it were about to burst.

Inside his clothes, his d*ck was already fully erect, leaking thin fluid and making a nuisance of itself.

With trembling hands, he gripped the hem of his clothes until his knuckles turned white.

Han-geon closed his eyes and panted heavily.

The breath spilling from his mouth carried scorching heat.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, what he desperately wanted in this moment, to the point of tears, was a trace of Cha Eun-gyeol’s pheromones.

If only he could immerse himself in that scent just once, it felt as though nothing else would matter anymore, no matter what happened afterward.

“…Get a grip.”

Even as he groaned, drenched in sweat, Han-geon scolded himself.

On days like this, when he was ruled by the horrific sensation known as imprinting pain, contradictory emotions inevitably seized him.

He missed Cha Eun-gyeol’s pheromones to the point of madness, and yet he also hated the man who had made him like this enough to want him dead.

Even as the suffocating obsession of the man who had turned him into someone who could not live without him made his breath catch, his body kept recalling and yearning for the moments when it had once been held tightly in his arms.

“Haah, haah, ha…”

His heated breaths spread endlessly through the darkness.

As his consciousness gradually blurred, it ultimately chose the shortcut.

There was no one watching anyway.

Clutching his clothes alone while groaning so pitifully suddenly felt absurd.

The moment he let go of that hollow, flimsy last shred of pride, everything collapsed in an instant.

From then on, his body moved frantically, like a starving beast.

The veins standing out starkly on Han-geon’s hand finally released the hem of his T-shirt and reached the waistband of his pants.

He stripped off his pants and underwear in one motion and wrapped his damp hand around his fully swollen d*ck.

“Ugh, ngh, ha…”

He hurriedly stroked himself, trying to release the heat.

But the sense of liberation that seemed to waver just before his eyes, as if it would arrive any second, only toyed with him cruelly.

Just like always.

Panting roughly, he moved his hand faster and faster.

The tacky sounds echoed emptily through the darkness.

No matter how hard he clenched his teeth and focused on the act, the heat wrapping around his body only grew more pronounced, and he could not reach the sensation he so desperately longed for.

At that moment, a sharp pull seized his lower abdomen, and Han-geon froze.

Startled by the sudden stimulus, the baby moved actively inside his womb.

The vigorous kicking from within was painful enough to draw out a groan.

After pausing for a moment, Han-geon looked down at his roundly swollen belly and squeezed his eyes shut.

With a body carrying a child, craving and begging for pheromones and pleasure he could no longer obtain felt disgusting.

It was unbearably miserable.

Even so, the vile heat continued to urge him on relentlessly.

It demanded that he immediately drench himself in the pheromones of the alpha who had imprinted him, endlessly coaxing him toward an act that could never be fulfilled.

Gritting his teeth, Han-geon let out a moan-like utterance of one man’s name.

“Ugh… hhng, damn it, Cha Eun-gyeol…”

A quiet curse followed.

Even in that moment, his throat felt unbearably dry.

The more he recalled that arrogant yet suffocatingly sweet scent, the more labored his breathing became.

The more vividly he remembered that heavy warmth that had once enveloped him, the more his vision seemed to fade to white.

This was not emotional longing for him.

It was closer to animal instinct.

It was hatred toward the reckless and cruel man who had turned his body into this state and even impregnated him, pouring sensations he should never have known deep into his bones.

Wrapped in self-loathing, Han-geon began moving his hand frantically once more.

After tearful effort, he eventually released a lukewarm climax, but it brought none of the feeling he wanted.

The unsatisfied desire still raged restlessly inside his body.

At least, mercifully, the sense of exhaustion was stronger.

Han-geon collapsed completely, utterly spent.

Overwhelmed by heavy self-reproach, he slipped into sleep without even thinking to change his clothes.

***

Arriving at the terminal, Han-geon bought a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate and sat down on a bench.

Thanks to leaving early in the morning, he had plenty of time.

It was Saturday, a day when the taekwondo gym was closed, and also the day he was supposed to meet his parents.

It had been months since he last saw them.

The memory felt distant.

Come to think of it, the last time must have been that day he went down to his parents’ house with Eun-gyeol, drank together as a family, and looked through photo albums.

“…Will she cry a lot?”

Just imagining his mother’s reaction made his mouth feel dry.

He unscrewed the cap and took a large gulp of water.

Even though he had been bracing himself for days, the closer the meeting with his mother drew, the more unavoidable the tension became.

When he had spoken with his parents for the last time a few days ago, his mother already knew everything about what had happened with Eun-gyeol.

Begging him to come home and at least show his face once, she had cried over the phone.

‘Just come for now.

Let’s talk face to face, Han-geon.

Please?’

Until now, Han-geon had not been able to readily agree.

If he went back to his parents’ house, he would inevitably run into Eun-gyeol.

Given that his mother knew everything, it was not hard to guess that Eun-gyeol was frequently coming and going there, waiting for him.

But this time, Han-geon finally decided to go see his parents.

He could not keep avoiding it forever.

Before giving birth, he had to meet them at least once.

It already felt sinful enough to be carrying a child they did not know about, and he could not go so far as to hide his face from them until the baby was born.

Even if he ran into Eun-gyeol near his parents’ house, he would no longer be swayed by him.

Now, he had that much confidence.

Although he was currently living while avoiding him and moving from place to place, once he settled down for the sake of the child someday, he would no longer be able to live on the run.

In truth, there would be no need to.

And for such an important matter, he did not want to summon his parents to some unfamiliar place just to avoid Eun-gyeol.

His parents’ house was the foundation of the life they had built together over a lifetime.

There was no reason for the whole family to avoid it because of Cha Eun-gyeol alone.

From the early days of the pregnancy, and from the moment he abandoned everything and began moving around, the heavy feelings toward his parents had never gone away.

Even so, the reason he had only now decided to visit them was because he needed time to fully solidify his resolve to live together with the child.

How hurt they must have been all this time.

A deep sigh escaped him.

Thinking about going to them of his own accord just to deliver even more distressing news made his mood sink further.

He was slowly twisting the cap back onto the bottle when it happened.

[Next, entertainment news.

Actor Cha Eun-gyeol, who created a box-office sensation with Heart for Love, has announced that he will be suspending his entertainment activities for the time being, and the news has been drawing constant attention.]

The sound coming from the television in the quiet waiting area caught his attention.

His head turned toward the screen before he realized it.

Along with the report, Eun-gyeol’s face appeared on the screen, smiling beautifully.

[…There has been much speculation about whether this might be a temporary retirement or due to health issues, but his agency has finally released an official statement.

TY Entertainment stated that since Cha Eun-gyeol has been continuously active without rest since his debut, he simply needs time to recharge, dismissing the circulating rumors.

We will look forward to Cha Eun-gyeol’s dazzling return in the near future.]

“Ah, that hurts.

Did you get excited because they’re talking about your dad?”

At the sudden, lively movement rolling inside his belly, Han-geon let out a small laugh.

The voice he used to joke softly while resting a hand on his stomach carried no trace of agitation.

The faint smile that had bloomed quickly faded.

Han-geon slowly put the water bottle and chocolate into his bag.

Soon after, a station attendant approached to announce boarding.

Turning his back on the face filling the television screen without hesitation, Han-geon stepped toward the bus.