Hyeonchae, who had been staring at him blankly, gave a small shake of his head.
"...No."
It was because his reaction had been just like someone's first kiss that Seonwoo asked. Then again, no matter how innocent he was, there was no way someone with a face like that had never kissed anyone before.
So he just wasn't good at it, Seonwoo thought, before leaning in to kiss him again. Their lips, softened by saliva, overlapped as though they were one. This kiss was far gentler and more tender than the one before.
No matter how shitty things had been, with Eun Hyeonchae trembling beneath his hands and obediently following his lead, Seonwoo couldn't stay angry any longer.
Even though he was an Alpha, and an inexperienced one who couldn't even kiss properly, Seonwoo felt more exhilarated than he ever had before. All the convictions that had made him reject Alphas until now crumbled after a single kiss.
Maybe being with an Alpha wasn't so bad after all.
The hand that had been gently stroking Hyeonchae's hair rolled lightly over the rim of his ear while his other hand slipped around his waist. The moment his hand slid beneath Hyeonchae's clothes, the body in his arms flinched adorably. Seonwoo chuckled softly against his lips, and Hyeonchae, looking at him with desperate longing, hurriedly asked,
"What about you, Senior? ...Do you like me?"
"What?"
Caught off guard by the question, Seonwoo parted his lips.
He had always thrown around words like "You're pretty" or "I like you" so casually that they carried little meaning. But somehow, when it came to Eun Hyeonchae, he couldn't even say them as empty words.
"Senior..."
As the silence dragged on, Hyeonchae's expression crumpled. Seeing tears gradually well up in those eyes fixed on him, Seonwoo panicked and reached out to cup both of Hyeonchae's cheeks.
"Does that really matter? Even if I don't necessarily like you, we can still do other things. I think I'm okay with you being an Alpha now."
"..."
"Didn't you want to sleep with me too? You said it wasn't your first time."
At last, the tears sparkling in Hyeonchae's eyes spilled down his cheeks.
Before Seonwoo, whose heart lurched at the feel of those tears against his palms, could even say another word, Hyeonchae turned around and ran out the door.
"Eun Hyeonchae!"
He was gone in an instant, too fast for Seonwoo to catch.
Slowly lowering his outstretched hand, Seonwoo finally realized what he'd done and slumped back against the wall.
Left alone, guilt crashed over him in waves. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Haah... Nam Seonwoo, you fucking piece of trash."
The alcohol was still lingering in his system, and his thoughts were a mess, so he had spoken without thinking.
He had simply been happy to see Eun Hyeonchae. Those pale eyes that looked only at him had been so beautiful...
He never should have treated someone that innocent the same way he'd treated his one-night stands.
No matter how exhausted he had been, even if he intended to reject him, he never should have done it like that.
He turned his phone back on and called Hyeonchae, but the guy who usually loved talking on the phone never answered.
Eventually giving up, Seonwoo sent a single text before tossing his phone aside.
[Hyung. I'm leaving.]
* * *
After staying awake the entire night, Seonwoo had only just drifted into a light sleep when his phone rang early in the morning. He had slept for less than an hour before opening his eyes again.
"Nam Seonwoo! What's with that text? Can you really come?"
"...Yeah. I'll come, so get things ready."
"What about the club? Aren't you going to the ski camp?"
At Dongjin's question, Seonwoo closed his eyes, the phone pressed against his ear.
After a brief silence, Dongjin answered as though it didn't matter.
"Well, whatever. This actually worked out great. You're really coming, right? When are you getting here? When can you start lessons?"
"...I'll head down tomorrow. I can start teaching on Monday."
After hanging up, Seonwoo let out a long sigh and rubbed his face dry.
The decision he'd made in the middle of the night had been nothing more than running away because he couldn't bear to face Iwon.
It had been sudden, but it wasn't a decision made in a fit of anger.
He simply had no other choice.
At the very least, Iwon would be stuck in Inun for the next month, and Seonwoo believed that if he spent the vacation apart from him, somehow things would work themselves out.
Whatever happened, it had to be better than this.
Running a hand over his face, he called Hyeonchae again.
As expected, the call disconnected without an answer.
He stared at the screen for a moment before sending another message.
[I want to see you before I leave and apologize.]
He gripped his phone and stared at the dark screen.
As expected, there was no reply.
"You used to answer so fast. You're ruthless."
He would have bet anything Hyeonchae was seeing every one of his messages and deliberately ignoring them.
Deciding to stop staring at his phone, Seonwoo got up and started packing.
Preparing enough luggage to stay away for about three months took quite a while.
Bulky items and things he wouldn't need immediately were packed into shipping boxes.
Once it was properly daylight, he contacted the club treasurer and informed him that, due to personal circumstances, he wouldn't be attending the ski camp.
Jinhyeong had sounded flustered by the sudden notice, but when Seonwoo said he didn't need a refund for the participation fee, his voice noticeably relaxed as he replied that, whatever the problem was, he hoped everything would work out.
Not long after informing the club, Iwon called.
Seonwoo looked down at the phone with a bitter expression before answering.
"So you're running away?"
"...Yeah."
Laughter burst from the other end.
"You can't run away."
Leaving only those words behind, Iwon hung up first.
Even after he had finished all his preparations, there was still no word from Hyeonchae.
Seonwoo considered going to find him in person, but after putting on his coat, he realized just how little he actually knew about Hyeonchae.
Did he live alone or with his family?
How did he commute to school?
If he couldn't be reached, where could Seonwoo find him?
He knew nothing.
After waiting aimlessly in front of the College of Humanities for hours, Seonwoo finally turned away with a bitter smile once all the classes had ended and the campus was empty.
...If just a few hours felt this unbearably long.
* * *
After leaving the boxes he was shipping outside his apartment door, Seonwoo wheeled his suitcase out of the house.
By the time he arrived at the stop where the Mighty Town shuttle departed, quite a few people were already gathered there, all dressed as though they were heading to a ski resort.
"Brrr, it's freezing."
"I'll just ski for a little while, then head inside."
"It's fine, it's fine. Once you're skiing, you don't even notice the cold."
"The best part is stopping for hot chocolate in the middle of skiing."
"If my sister hadn't begged me, I never would've come out in winter. Outside the blanket is dangerous... and if it starts snowing too, that'll be the worst."
"Oh, the bus is here! ...Still, I think winter's my favorite season."
"What's so great about weather this cold?"
"I don't know. It feels like a time to sort out everything that's been piling up and look forward to what next year will bring. Isn't that nice?"
Whether they were overflowing with excitement or grumbling nonstop, every single one of them wore the same expectant expression.
Quietly watching the cheerful crowd, Seonwoo let out a faint sigh as countless thoughts flooded his mind before climbing aboard the shuttle.
Gangwon Province was definitely colder.
It seemed to have snowed until dawn, and traces of snow remained everywhere. Even though it was only three hours away, the atmosphere was completely different from Seoul.
<Après Ski Shop>
Looking up at the sign, Seonwoo spotted Dongjin frantically waving him over and smiled.
"Hyung. It's been a while."
"Seonwoo!! Damn, it's good to see you. I seriously thought I wasn't going to this season, you brat. I've just got to take care of one reservation, so go wait inside."
Walking into the office in the back, Seonwoo quietly looked around.
Even though he'd been away for three seasons, memories of last winter felt as fresh as if they had happened yesterday.
One section of the display cabinet behind him was filled with trophies, medals, and plaques.
His connection with Dongjin dated all the way back to their days as ski athletes.
They had both belonged to the team sponsored by Chairman Choi.
They had a lot in common.
Both were born into wealthy families.
Both had skied since childhood.
Both were skilled, though neither was a once-in-a-generation genius.
Both loved skiing, but neither had been desperate enough to devote their entire lives to it.
It was only natural that two people in such similar circumstances had become close so quickly.
Unlike Seonwoo, whose career ended at seventeen because of an injury just as he was beginning to attract attention, Dongjin never achieved spectacular results but still made it onto the national team.
When he retired, his parents gave him a building, allowing him to smoothly transition into running his own business.
That business was the Après Ski Shop.
Since he was twenty, Seonwoo had spent every winter here.
"Here. Your equipment."
"Thanks. Looks like you've been taking good care of it."
Raising an eyebrow at the skis, which somehow looked to be in even better condition than the last time he'd seen them, Seonwoo watched Dongjin nod proudly.
"Of course I have. That's how much I've been waiting for you. Haah, Seonwoo, you have no idea. Those few weeks after you said you couldn't come nearly drove me crazy. This time I only casually let slip that you might not make it, and the mood instantly sank. Even Mrs. Jin reacted like that, and the twins actually asked me to tell them if I knew where you'd transferred to. I barely managed to stop them from asking for your number."
Seonwoo laughed in disbelief at Dongjin's exaggerated complaints before getting to his feet.
"I want to unpack first. Where am I staying?"
Dongjin flashed him a confident grin.
"Don't be surprised."