Chapter 75: The Weight of a Forgotten Past

Yeon-chae stepped another pace closer to Yoonwoo. Their lips were barely half a span apart.

Yoonwoo’s gaze lingered on Yeon-chae’s pallid face.

Fourteen years ago, Yoonwoo had scooped up a dollop of whipped cream with a fork, swallowed it whole, and then declared:

‘Even if you don’t give me this, I’m going to marry Yeon.’

Yoonwoo drew a sharp breath.

Each inhalation filled his lungs with the dense scent of blossoms. To perceive another’s body scent was more profound than he had ever imagined.

Had he not presented as an omega, or had he not carried Yeon-chae’s child, Yoonwoo would forever have remained ignorant of Yeon-chae’s unique fragrance. He desperately wished never to lose this cherry blossom scent.

They had already decided to marry back then. Nine-year-old Yoonwoo was a remarkably precocious child, and he understood the meaning of ‘marriage’ perfectly well.

The taste of that proposal, coaxed gently from the two-year-younger child next door, had been quite sweet. Even now, seven-year-old Yeon-chae had been as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

Yoonwoo had pretended nonchalance at the time, but secretly, he had been so overjoyed he wanted to leap into the air.

He had liked Yeon-chae ever since.

A past long forgotten surged forth, engulfing Yoonwoo in an instant. Memories and emotions rekindled with startling speed.

His heart swelled and churned, like a storm gathering within his chest.

He loved Yeon-chae. It was the same kind of feeling as his childhood affection, yet immeasurably deeper now.

“May I kiss you?”

“…….”

No answer came from Yeon-chae. Only his eyes widened slightly, and the color of his pupils deepened.

“May I, right?” Yoonwoo pressed, allowing no room for hesitation.

Yeon-chae squeezed his eyes shut, seemingly struggling with all his might not to surrender completely to the rut. Yet, Yoonwoo did not want him to resist. This new, awakened emotion was insatiable.

“…Yes.”

Finally, permission was granted.

Yoonwoo stretched out his arms toward Yeon-chae. He pulled the willingly approaching, substantial body tightly into his embrace. The thrumming of their hearts echoed loudly against their chests.

“Yeon-chae, I… I…”

Yoonwoo had so much he wanted to say. But in the end, he only gnawed at his lip before pressing them firmly together.

Yeon-chae then met his lips with his own. It tasted sweet and refreshingly cool.

Yeon-chae’s eyes curved into a smile, his long, crescent-shaped eyes beautiful like half-moons. They remained with their lips pressed together for a while.

Yoonwoo felt somewhat disoriented, a mixture of exhilaration and a dreamlike state.

Then, Yeon-chae hesitated, pulling his lips away. A shadow fell across his gaze as he looked at Yoonwoo.

“Thank you, Hyung.”

“Huh…?”

For a moment, Yoonwoo couldn’t comprehend what Yeon-chae was saying. His words caught in his throat, and he could only blink.

Yeon-chae seemed to struggle even to exhale, yet he forced his lips to move, continuing his sentence.

“Thank you for helping me. From now on, I—I’ll handle it myself. I’m sorry, truly sorry…”

At that instant, the air in the room seemed to halt. Yoonwoo’s spirits plummeted into an abyss.

“Oh… right.”

Yoonwoo clenched his eyes, fighting back tears. Even on the verge of losing his mind to the heat of the rut, Yeon-chae was calmly expressing his gratitude.

Yoonwoo had not reached out to Yeon-chae to hear a ‘thank you.’

‘Of course he’d be grateful,’ Yoonwoo thought, trying to twist his perspective deliberately. ‘I offered to save him at a time too late for suppressants.’ Yet, the bitter sorrow in his heart refused to dissipate.

“It’s nothing, really. Just helping out when needed, uhn, that’s all.”

It was unclear whether Yeon-chae had heard Yoonwoo’s feigned bravado. Yeon-chae’s tongue tip gently pushed between his slightly parted lips.

His soft, warm lips were tender and sweet. As their tongues entwined and the pliant warmth of his mouth was explored, Yoonwoo felt a surge of heat. Yeon-chae seemed to have almost lost all reason.

Yoonwoo recalled the first night they had spent together. He remembered being overwhelmed by the intense cherry blossom scent.

Thus, the moment their lips reconnected, he felt breathless. It was a memory that made his heart pound, yet each time he revisited it, a wave of sorrow washed over him.

This time, he yearned for a night that would become a cherished memory, one that would always fill him with excitement, no matter how long he reminisced. But could such a night truly be?

Yoonwoo clung to the firm arms wrapped around him, his thoughts heavy. The answer was a resounding no.

Each time Yoonwoo gasped for breath, Yeon-chae would ask, “Are you alright?” His once soft voice was now fragmented, like a rasping sound scraping against the floor.

Though Yoonwoo’s body was beyond his control, he managed to nod.

Yoonwoo’s body grew hot.

Yeon-chae’s hand swept down the slender waist before him. The resilient skin felt soft and supple beneath his palm. Yoonwoo seemed ticklish from the touch, his body trembling subtly.

His gaze, as he looked up at Yeon-chae, appeared both surprised and frightened.

Yeon-chae tried to look down at him with tender eyes. However, years of accumulated obsession clung stickily to Yoonwoo’s eyes, cheeks, lips, and nape.

He stroked Yoonwoo’s soft, plump abdomen. A faint worry flickered in his heat-blurred gaze. Noticing his stare, Yoonwoo spoke soothingly, as if to reassure him.

“The doctor said it’s okay now that I’m in a stable period. They even said it’s good to receive a lot of pheromones.”

“…You asked about that?”

“I didn’t ask; the doctor suggested it first… uhn.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

Unable to hold back any longer, Yeon-chae pulled Yoonwoo into a tight embrace. Yoonwoo collapsed, clinging to Yeon-chae’s arms. Yoonwoo’s soft groans tickled his ears.

Yoonwoo’s right hand reached out as if to pull away, but it was immediately caught. Yeon-chae layered his own hand over Yoonwoo’s. He felt Yoonwoo stiffen in his arms, but he didn’t release him.

“It’s true, pheromones… the more, the better…”

“f*ck. Hyung, are you out of your mind?”

“Why are you swearing and… and… *uhh*…”

Yoonwoo seemed utterly unaware of what he was saying. Yeon-chae was the one in rut, yet Yoonwoo was losing his composure instead.

Yeon-chae pulled Yoonwoo even closer into his embrace, resting his cheek against Yoonwoo’s. The slender body clung limply to him, and Yoonwoo’s fair cheeks flushed with heat, growing warm to the touch.

Yoonwoo looked as if he might lose consciousness at any moment. And yet, he was the one driving Yeon-chae to such a frenzy.

Filled with a frustrated fury, Yeon-chae bit down hard on Yoonwoo’s nape. Red teeth marks quickly appeared on the delicate skin. Yoonwoo gasped briefly, his eyes snapping open.

His large, dark pupils visibly trembled with unease.

“Yeon-chae, what are you… Just do it…”

“I’ll handle it myself, so just be quiet.”

When Yeon-chae snapped back irritably, Yoonwoo smiled, his face looking drained of energy. ‘How can he even think of smiling?’ Yeon-chae felt a rush of heat to his head, as if he might lose control entirely.

‘Is this truly nothing to Hyung? Just to resolve the rut, and because pheromone contact is good for the baby, so it’s fine to just do it moderately?’

Yet, despite his anger, Yeon-chae felt most pathetic for being aroused by Yoonwoo’s indifferent attitude.