LM 17

“What’s gotten into you? Kwon Yuwon, get a grip on yourself. How many fingers am I holding up?”

Even as Kwon Siyul waved two fingers in front of him, Kwon Yuwon simply stared with wide eyes, took Kwon Siyul by the shoulders, and shook him. The excitement in his eyes didn’t wane and his voice kept getting louder.

“The worst of all Alphas are those that are dominant Alphas. Just being near those bastards can affect you. They say even sensitive Betas can differentiate if they’re around them too long! You know fully well we’re both not exactly lucky, right? Don’t get involved and end up like me. Just continue staying a beta—”

Kwon Yuwon was just about to find the right words to finish when their neighbor yelled, “Let us sleep, dammit!” and pounded on the wall like he’d like to directly smash it if they don’t shut up. They immediately shut their mouths, afraid of waking everyone in the inn.

“Anyway, make sure you avoid alphas. Sleeping with alphas…Don’t even be curious about that sort of thing. They have no loyalty. Even though some might have partners, during rut they don’t even think twice when fooling around with others. Got it?”

Kwon Yuwon whispered just loud enough for Kwon Siyul to hear. Kwon Siyul nodded his head. One more word and it seemed Kwon Yuwon’s self-possessed lecture part 2 would immediately begin.

Kwon Siyul wanted to shower and sleep, but even water sounds from the bathroom might set off their neighbor. He simply changed out of his clothes into some pajamas and got into bed. When Kwon Yuwon turned off the TV, darkness enveloped the small room.

“I don’t want you to go through what I did.”

The voice that came after a stretch of silence was subdued. Kwon Yuwon lay with his back turned toward him. Kwon Siyul looked at that back with eyes adjusting to the darkness. Though smaller than his, it had always seemed reliable, but today it looked rather frail.

“You’re like a brother to me…”

Kwon Siyul lay looking at the ceiling. He reached out and patted that back. He understood the other man’s sincerity well. Now, just like before, Kwon Yuwon was the only one who really cared for him in this harsh and unforgiving world.

“What you’re worried about won’t happen. So just go to sleep for now.”

But contrary to his mind telling him to accept Kwon Yuwon’s advice, his thoughts wandered on their own. Woo Hyunse’s voice still clung to his ears. Like hardened wax, it stuck and wouldn’t come off.

The sound of that person’s voice fueled his imagination, and the two protagonists from the movie they had been watching earlier had transformed into Woo Hyunse and an unnamed person. Two people were throwing their heads back in passion, kissing exposed necks, their bodies intertwining.

“…”

Kwon Siyul pulled the blanket over his head. The leftover taste of alcohol in his mouth was bitter.

* * *

Light seeped into the room, making him open his eyes. His neck and shoulders were stiff, perhaps from an uncomfortable sleeping position. Or it could be due to the four days of rut. As he stretched languidly, his fingertips got caught on the thick curtains. Pulling them back, bright light filtered through sheer curtains, illuminating the room.

“Mm.” Woo Hyunse cleared his dry throat as he sat on the edge of the bed. He gripped the back of his neck tightly with his large hand. The skin turned white under his grip, returning to its original color as he released it. He slowly and deeply tilted his neck from side to side. Sharp scratch marks traced long lines between his flexing shoulder blades and muscles.

Next to him lay a woman, her bare back exposed. Though she should have stirred at the movement, she slept like she was one of the dead. Well, she must be exhausted from their activities that lasted till dawn. Was she the second person who came, or the third? As Woo Hyunse tried to recall the events of the past nights, the act was too much for his drowsy state of mind, so he just exhaled through his nose and got up.

There was no need to dwell on such matters. It was over anyway.

The rut had come earlier than expected. Though he was past the erratic cycles of adolescence, what happened was unusual, leading him to hastily call anyone and everyone, who was available to the hotel.

That was what omegas and alphas were. Their bodies were always in heat, fully prepared to mate with anyone given the chance. Woo Hyunse was no different. When aroused, he’d fuck; during rut, the line between lover and partner blurred.

Some might curse them as animals without loyalty, but there was nothing that could be done about it—it was their nature. There were even papers suggesting alphas and omegas might be a new breed of humans optimized for reproduction. Whenever that time came, visions would become blurry and only one thing filled the mind. Like sinking slowly into a swamp until even the mouth, nose, and eyes were submerged, they drowned in lust, everything else falling into the background.

During rut, Woo Hyunse holed up in a hotel room. He passed his work to Park Hae-jeong. Though he whined about it, a generous incentive made him obey.

About to enter the bathroom, he picked up his phone. There were several missed calls, but he ignored them. They were nothing urgent. He tapped his phone to check the other messages. His finger naturally pressed the chat window pinned at the top.

[You must be very busy.]

It turned out to be a thread of correspondence between him and Kwon Siyul. He had replied late. The fact that he replied at all was actually surprising. He ignored even Park Hae-jeong’s regular messages, so why Kwon Siyul? Woo Hyunse was doubly surprised that he had managed to type coherently even in his delirious state of mind.

There was also a call log. He didn’t remember the conversation well. Kwon Siyul’s voice had seemed distant as if rising from the depths of a pond. But it appeared he had managed to end the call normally.

He tossed the phone on the table and walked into the bathroom. Though the rut had ended and his pheromones had returned to normal, strangely, a sticky heat remained on his skin.

He wasn’t satisfied by all the sex he just had. The refreshing, liberating feeling that usually came after a rut didn’t come this time. He felt unpleasant as if he’d been eating nothing but distasteful things day and night. A needling whisper kept circling in his mind, saying that this wasn’t it, what he needed was something else.

He switched the lukewarm water to cold. The icy temperature washed away the remaining drowsiness and heat residue that was left on his skin. Pushing back his wet hair, Woo Hyunse lifted his head.

Suddenly, Kwon Siyul’s voice from that dawn not too long ago when he was drunk on rut seeped into his ears like rainwater. At the same time, he lowered his head.

“…”

Seeing his lower body heat up again as if not tired at all, he muttered a low curse. He leaned his forehead against the cool bathtub wall, but the scorching heat didn’t subside in the slightest. It seemed he might need a bit more time for the rut to fully resolve itself.

He looked up at the sign that read “Moody Night.” He hadn’t particularly intended to make a profit out of it; it was a place he’d set up to visit when bored or wanting a drink. When running it became bothersome, he had put a former acquaintance in charge as manager, and surprisingly, her skills had kept the place running smoothly thus far.

The atmosphere had improved too. There were jazz performances every Wednesday night and piano music three days a week. Perhaps because there were female customers who frequented the place, there were no troublemakers coming to ask for hostesses. Woo Hyunse especially liked the fact that the Moody Night was relatively “trouble-free.”

He had placed Kwon Siyul in this establishment. Wondering where to put him, he’d stuck him in what was arguably the most wholesome place of all. Manager Kang Jiwon had readily accepted, though she did tease him about getting into charity work lately, just like Park Hae-jeong.

Though he’d doubted how well Kwon Siyul would do, unexpectedly, he wasn’t bad at his job. Manager Kang Jiwon even spoke highly of him. She said it was admirable how he prepared things without being told and efficiently took care of tasks.

She said that while previous workers would constantly complain if work increased even a little, Kwon Siyul carried out his duties silently without protest. Later, she even praised him, asking where he’d found such a gem.

“Kids these days,” she had said.

Woo Hyunse had decided to keep to himself Kwon Siyul’s past of delivering drugs and didn’t divulge this bit of information to Kang Jiwon. There was no benefit in planting prejudice. For someone who had lived a rough life, Kwon Siyul had no visible tattoos and not a single luxury item on him, so if Woo Hyunse just kept quiet about it, Kwon Siyul could continue to remain an earnest young man.

The bar was on the 6th floor. Woo Hyunse chose the stairs over the elevator. As he calmly walked up and opened the door, a cheerful “Welcome!” greeted him almost immediately. Kwon Siyul had just finished tucking a menu under his arm and was looking up at him.

“Welco…me.”

His bright face stiffened, startled upon seeing Woo Hyunse. Shouldn’t he greet him happily after several days of absence? Seeing that subtly rigid expression, Woo Hyunse’s good mood took a downward turn. At the same time, he didn’t show it. As always, he raised his hand with a cool smile. The bartender and even the chef craned their necks to greet Woo Hyunse as well.

“Kwon Siyul, it’s been a while but no greeting?”

Kwon Siyul said “Hello” as if reciting from a textbook, avoiding eye contact. Woo Hyunse sat on a bar stool and ordered a non-alcoholic drink. A single drink wouldn’t affect his liver and even if he got stopped by a cop, he wouldn’t be caught, but he didn’t want to hear that broken record about designated drivers again.

Acting like a wife when he wasn’t one, nagging like that…The term “wife” made him laugh out loud involuntarily. He covered his mouth with his hand to try and hide it.

“The manager isn’t here today.”

Kwon Siyul hesitated before speaking. Woo Hyunse watched him with his chin propped up. Kwon Siyul fidgeted with his fingers on the menu, his eyes darting around the room. His determination to avoid eye contact was admirable.

“Yeah, and?”

“No, I thought you came here to see the manager…”