Kwon Heegang rinsed out the cleaning rag, neatly put it away, and washed his hands.
The time it took him to pull ingredients from the refrigerator, prepare everything with practiced efficiency, and place the chilled noodles in front of Go Igyeol was barely seven minutes at most.
It was honestly astonishing that something this quick and simple could come together so fast.
“I made it with konjac noodles today. I think you left some of the regular noodles last time. Try it first, and if you don’t like it, I’ll make fresh wheat noodles right away.”
“Thank you for the meal. I suddenly asked out of nowhere… I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Go Igyeol swallowed hard as he stared at the bright red noodles, the tart seasoned kimchi piled on top, the cucumbers, and the soft-boiled egg garnish.
He lifted the large bowl first and took a deep mouthful of the icy broth.
“It’s… really good.”
“Really? Then try the noodles too and tell me what you think. If they’re not to your taste, I’ll boil regular noodles immediately.”
At that, Go Igyeol hurriedly picked up his chopsticks.
He lifted the noodles and slurped them into his mouth. Sweet and tangy flavors spread instantly across his tongue.
“Mm. I think I like this version better. It’s good.”
“That’s a relief. Eat while it’s fresh.”
“I’ll clean up after I’m done eating. You should head home.”
His voice came out unusually bright as he rubbed the red seasoning from the corner of his mouth.
Despite his delicate appearance, his naturally husky voice lifted pleasantly when he spoke like this.
“If you ever want it again, just tell me anytime. And please clean up afterward.”
“Please get home safely.”
Contrary to the rumors spread around the family home, the cool-faced beauty was polite and gentle by nature.
Their conversations were never extensive, but even through brief exchanges, his soft temperament showed clearly.
Even if he was uncomfortable around people, he was never rude or ill-mannered.
Kwon Heegang slowly shook his head as he remembered someone at the family home complaining that Go Igyeol only came around to make trouble before disappearing again.
***
After Kwon Heegang left work, Go Igyeol remained alone in the dining room staring awkwardly at the completely empty bowl, broth included.
It felt as though eating real food belonged to some distant past.
He sat there for a long time rubbing his full stomach before finally getting up slowly to clean up.
All he really did was wipe away the splattered seasoning from the table and wash a few dishes, but maybe because he was full, his mood felt strangely light.
Go Igyeol wiped his wet hands against his pajama pants and wandered into the living room before stretching out across the sofa.
The sleepiness crashing over him was impossible to resist.
Fumbling around, he set an alarm on his phone for Seo Dohyeon’s usual return time before closing his eyes comfortably.
He had only meant to doze off for a moment before waking again.
“Go Igyeol.”
“……”
“Go Igyeol.”
At the force shaking his shoulder, Go Igyeol slowly forced his eyelids open.
His hazy gaze still looked trapped halfway inside a dream.
He blinked sluggishly several times before his eyes finally sharpened with awareness.
“Ah, uh….”
The rough metallic scrape in his throat after speaking made him immediately shut his mouth again.
He had no idea how long he had slept or why the alarm had never gone off.
The panic flooding his eyes completely chased away the last traces of drowsiness.
As though it had become a terrible habit lately, his hair, still not fully dry, stuck out wildly in every direction.
Realizing Seo Dohyeon’s gaze had landed on the mess of floating hair, Go Igyeol spread his fingers and awkwardly tried smoothing it down.
“I don’t think doing that’s going to flatten it.”
“…I meant to wake up before you came home.”
“Did you go out?”
“Ah, yes. I went to the academy. I got counseling and registered. A language academy.”
Holding his jacket in one hand, Seo Dohyeon stopped midway toward the hallway and casually sat down beside him instead.
“And?”
“…What?”
“What else did you do?”
“Nothing… I didn’t do anything.”
At Go Igyeol’s answer, Seo Dohyeon’s expression hardened slightly.
He stared intently at him for a moment as though checking something before brushing a finger beneath his nose.
“I see.”
“Did you… eat dinner?”
“I ate something simple. What about you, Go Igyeol?”
“I ate too. A lot… actually.”
Even if he claimed he had eaten a lot, the amount had obviously been small.
Seo Dohyeon rubbed at his forehead, his gaze drifting toward the part of Go Igyeol that still looked too flat no matter whether he ate or not.
Only belatedly realizing where Seo Dohyeon had been looking, Go Igyeol awkwardly bent forward to cover his stomach.
“You seem to be sleeping more than before. Is it because it’s spring? Lately every time I come home, you’re asleep.”
Seo Dohyeon reached toward the hair sticking up everywhere.
The moment his fingertips brushed the tuft jutting upward, heat spread naturally across Go Igyeol’s cheeks.
Seo Dohyeon cupped the warm cheek heated from sleep and pulled him closer.
As Seo Dohyeon’s face moved nearer as though intending to kiss him, Go Igyeol subtly pulled his head back.
Lately, he had been rejecting this kind of physical affection more and more often.
He needed the pheromones desperately, but if his clothes came off, even someone as indifferent as Seo Dohyeon might finally notice the changes in his body.
“That’s… because you come home late, Seo Dohyeon.”
“Are you telling me to come home earlier?”
“No—! That’s not what I meant. I mean…”
Startled, Go Igyeol hurriedly added that there was absolutely no need to change his schedule because of him.
If Seo Dohyeon started coming home earlier, that would create problems too.
He needed to leave soon, and he wanted to avoid Seo Dohyeon realizing too quickly that he had disappeared.
“Then?”
“Around six…”
That was when most office workers got off work.
Maybe Seo Dohyeon should come home around then too.
Carefully studying Seo Dohyeon’s expression, Go Igyeol cautiously met his eyes.
“Did nothing really happen today?”
“…What? Ah, no. I went to the academy, then to a café. That was all.”
“And your new friends? I imagine there were plenty of people your age at the academy.”
“I only greeted the instructor who counseled me, so I don’t really know anyone.”
Seo Dohyeon wore an unreadable expression as he listened to the answer before giving a short reply.
“I see.”
Then he stood.
“Go inside and rest comfortably. I still have work left.”
Seo Dohyeon rose from the sofa without the slightest hesitation.
Go Igyeol watched his retreating back for a long moment before quietly heading toward the bedroom himself.
***
The weather grew warmer by the day.
Seeing Go Igyeol change into thinner short-sleeved pajamas made Seo Dohyeon realize spring had arrived in earnest.
The fact that he now measured the seasons not by the temperature or the wind, but by Go Igyeol’s clothing, left him with an oddly ticklish feeling even he found ridiculous.
Go Igyeol reached out with the hand rubbing sleep from his eyes and briefly caught Seo Dohyeon’s arm before pulling away again.
He had probably done it unconsciously because he felt guilty for rejecting him the previous night.
Using his TOEIC exam as an excuse, Go Igyeol had lately been daring to refuse sleeping with him.
Seo Dohyeon could barely remember the last time they had truly slept together in the same bed, or the last time he had properly held Go Igyeol.
It was absurd, honestly.
Go Igyeol had no plans to return to school and no plans for employment, yet he was desperately studying for an exam anyway.
Still, somehow, Seo Dohyeon found himself understanding it enough to wait.
“When did you say the exam was?”
“…Next week.”
“So this overly sensitive behavior ends this week, then.”
The breath brushing beside his ear and the lower-than-usual voice instantly chased away what little sleepiness remained.
May was already nearing its end.
Go Igyeol had begun sleeping less at night.
The anxiety of never knowing when Seo Dohyeon might suddenly reach for him made it difficult to lie comfortably beside him anymore.
Instead, his morning sleepiness had grown worse.
He still jolted awake whenever he heard movement and stumbled out to see Seo Dohyeon off, but most mornings he was barely conscious, half asleep the entire time.
And every time, the soft laughter or the hand brushing his cheek felt so good that he found himself thinking—
Just one more day.
Just today.
I’ll leave tomorrow.
Pushing it off again and again like that, more than a month had already slipped by.
During that time, his stomach had swollen enough for anyone to notice.
Even tightly wrapped in layers of clothing, it could no longer truly be hidden.
Which meant the time to leave had finally come.
“Have a good day.”
“Let’s eat dinner together tonight.”
“……”
“It’s been a while.”
At the gentle tone, Go Igyeol smiled brightly.
When he told him once more to have a safe day at work, Seo Dohyeon finally turned away.
The moment his back disappeared and the sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the house, clarity crashed over Go Igyeol all at once.
The calm posture he had been maintaining instantly collapsed.
He had grown far too complacent.
Go Igyeol immediately entered the dressing room and pulled out the belongings he had secretly packed away bit by bit.
After checking Seo Dohyeon’s pheromone-scented clothes and pillowcases one more time, he stuffed in a few outfits and a cardigan for immediate use.
Now that the weather had fully warmed, that alone would be enough.
The moment he left, he planned to withdraw every remaining bit of money from the nearest bank and turn off his phone completely.
Whether it was from tension or from the weight of what he was about to do, the trembling slowly spreading through him refused to stop.
His hands shook so badly he couldn’t even undo buttons properly, so Go Igyeol simply grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head.
The moment he saw his reflection in the full-length mirror, his face froze in shock.
His lower stomach was swollen enough to be obvious at a glance.
If Seo Dohyeon’s comment that morning hadn’t finally shocked him into awareness, he would have been discovered sooner or later without question.
The thought made his vision blur faintly.
Buying the academy bag and the luggage bag as matching sets had been a smart decision.
The moment he naturally slung them over his shoulder and stepped out of the bedroom, Kwon Heegang—who had just arrived for work—greeted him warmly.
“You’re heading out already?”
“What? Ah, yes.”
“Is there anything you’d like to eat today?”
“It’s okay. Thank you for your hard work.”
Unlike usual, he didn’t say he’d be back later.
But Kwon Heegang didn’t think much of it.
Fine wrinkles folded softly around the older omega’s smiling eyes.
Go Igyeol stared at the face he would likely never see again and smiled faintly.
“The noodles were really delicious. Thank you.”
“I’ll make them again for you. So you can have them as a snack after academy.”
Go Igyeol didn’t answer.
As he stepped out through the front door, he only hoped Seo Dohyeon would realize he was gone as late as possible.