A strange sound escaped my lips. Every time my shoulders rose with the breath filling up to my chin, it felt like my chest would burst. I got off the rowing machine to loosen my muscles and started walking when I suddenly noticed a narrow gap where a door was slightly ajar. Behind it, Elliot was half-hidden, watching me.
“What are you doing? Come in.”
I beckoned with a smile, and he immediately brightened, running over to me. His weight pressing against my legs made me stagger briefly, but I caught my balance just in time. I didn’t have the strength to pick him up, so instead, I gently tousled his soft hair.
“Dilly, what are you doing? What is this? Why are you just moving back and forth? Is it fun? Does your butt hurt?”
Elliot fired off questions as if he’d been holding them in. I gave a wry smile and explained the rowing machine to him. Of course, I had to start by explaining what rowing even was.
After the semester ended and I returned home, I asked my parents to buy a rowing machine. Buying equipment just to compete in one season seemed a bit wasteful, but thinking of the other exercise equipment we had at home, adding one more wasn’t a bad thing. Considering Lucien’s passion—who had already bought equipment and trained long before joining the team despite starting late and even earned lavish praise from the coach—I figured this was only natural. Our family’s finances certainly weren’t strained by this level of spending.
During weekdays, I went grocery shopping with my mother, doing my best as the carrier. It was also my job to fill the car with gas at the right time. Actually, it wasn’t new to me since I’d always done it whenever possible. I froze a bit when my father told me to wash all the cars.
“We’ve arranged for a college admissions expert.”
At dinner, when everyone gathered, my mother announced this. Since it was already a given that I’d attend college, there was no room for objections. I only said I understood to delay any troublesome discussion.
Days passed with family trips, occasional rowing practice, playing baseball with Elliot, and so on. I hadn’t heard from Lucien.
As summer deepened toward autumn, returning to school after two months felt strangely unfamiliar. Feeling the usual sensation, I parked in the student lot, carrying my bag over one shoulder and walked along the path. Students returning to school wandered sparsely around the campus. I looked around searching for the new dorm room I’d been told about.
With the new academic year, my dorm room had changed. Room assignments were mostly done by lottery, and barring special circumstances, the assigned room had to be used according to the school’s strict rules. Usually, the rooms were shared by students of the same grade, but sometimes different grades mixed in, so luck was needed. Every year when the room changed, I wished for some small luck.
This year, however, was different. Standing before the door to my room, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and silently prayed.
If I’m to be unlucky and have to share a room with someone from another grade, please let it be Emilio.
Sharing a room with Emilio wouldn’t be bad luck—it would be a huge blessing, right?
As I turned the doorknob, that thought crossed my mind but didn’t last long. With a trembling heart, I opened the door to see a room not much different from the one before. Two beds against the walls on each side, two desks facing the window, two closets opposite each other by the door, and a door that looked like it led to an adjoining bathroom filled my view.
There was someone already inside—probably, of course, my new roommate. Seeing his much larger height and broader shoulders compared to Emilio, I was inwardly disappointed but also thought it was only natural. Such luck wouldn’t come that easily.
As I closed the door and stepped inside, a faint scent reached me. Feeling strangely familiar, I turned to see the guy standing by the window slowly turn his head. When our eyes met, I opened mine wide in surprise.
“Russ?”
I called his name without thinking, and he smiled brightly at me.
“Dilly.”
His voice, going through puberty, was now perfectly settled. The unbelievably smooth, deep male voice stunned me even more. That wasn’t all. The last time I’d seen him, he was tall and skinny, but now his body had become impressively sturdy. His shoulders, chest, and even hands were bigger than mine. I was fairly confident about my body and sometimes earned envy from others, but standing before Lucien made me feel suddenly small.
“What’s wrong? Can’t recognize me again?”
Lucien asked playfully. Of course not—I’d been through that phase. But the shock of seeing him completely transformed, like a caterpillar turned butterfly, didn’t fade easily.
“I can’t remember how you used to look…”
I muttered dazedly, and Lucien laughed aloud. His laugh was so clear and refreshing that I was surprised again.
Blinking dumbfoundedly, I hurriedly put down my bag and rushed over.
“What happened? Weren’t you supposed to have a single room? Why are you in this room?”
I wondered if he’d come to see me, but quickly dismissed the thought. How could Lucien know my room? We’d never contacted each other. When I asked, Lucien answered straightforwardly.
“My pheromones stabilized, so they said I no longer needed a single room. So…”
“Oh, that’s great. Glad to hear it.”
Before he finished, I patted his arm enthusiastically. Then another question came to mind.
“So you were assigned this room?”
This time Lucien hesitated a moment. Looking away as if searching for words, he finally said,
“No, actually I asked to share a room with you.”
“A request?”
I said, and Lucien nodded.
“My pheromones are controlled well now, but some people might still be uncomfortable with my traits. I thought you’d be okay with it.”
He confessed simply but then hesitated.
“Did I make you uncomfortable?”
Suddenly, Brad’s words popped into my mind: “He has to be a spectacle because he’s an Extreme Alpha.” Also, his family’s fear that exposure to pheromones might turn someone into an Omega and so they avoided Lucien. My heart softened at the thought.
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a single room?”
I said thinking of him, but Lucien’s face immediately lost color. I hurriedly clarified, not wanting him to misunderstand.
“No, I mean, it’s just that living alone is usually more comfortable than sharing. That’s all, no other reason.”
Lucien opened his mouth with a blank expression.
“I’ve never shared a room with anyone before.”
Still looking at me, he continued.
“So I was happy to have a chance to share a room with someone. I thought you’d say it was okay… Sorry for acting on my own.”
“No, no, no, really not, Russ.”
I shook my head frantically, strongly denying his words. I was so anxious I even gripped his arms tightly.
“That’s not what I meant. I just thought you’d be more comfortable alone. I’m actually happy to share with you.”
Looking up with a plea to believe me, I stopped short. His purple eyes were now noticeably higher. Realizing he’d grown so much, I stared dumbfounded, but Lucien’s expression slowly softened. Relieved at least a bit, Lucien let go of my arm and hugged me tightly.
“Thanks, Dilly. I knew you’d say that.”
Holding my waist with one arm and the back of my head with the other, he whispered in my ear. I blinked in surprise, still caught in his embrace, then gently patted his back.
Ah, that scent again.
The forgotten sweet scent spread around us. Had it not been there earlier? I wondered briefly but quickly found an answer. Being this close, I could feel it this much. Earlier, we’d been a bit apart. Comforted by this reasoning, I created some space and gently pulled away. Looking up at me, Lucien fixed his gaze on me again. I chuckled softly, and he smiled back. Soon, we both laughed out loud.
Lucien had arrived an hour before me but hadn’t unpacked. He’d been waiting for me.
“You decide which bed you want. I don’t care.”
I accepted his kindness and chose the side with less sunlight. It was summer, and the harsh morning sun would have bothered me.
I spoke again just as I nearly finished tidying my desk.
“Did you get my message? Didn’t you see it?”
Of course, he had. I was sure Lucien read it.
The sudden situation made me forget for a moment, but once I calmed down, curiosity surfaced. Something must have happened during vacation, so I asked. Lucien looked away and gave a wry smile.
“No, I saw it. Sorry.”
He apologized readily and added,
“I couldn’t contact you because things weren’t settled. Sorry.”
“Yeah…”
I sensed he was trying to brush it off, but I didn’t press. If it was something he could share, he would have by now. Lucien was always honest with me.
Something must have happened in his family.
Guessing, I quietly asked,
“So is everything okay now? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, don’t worry. It’s all good now.”
Lucien answered without hesitation. I held back my questions and just said, “Good to hear,” then changed the subject.
“Did you hear from the coach? Practice starts tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Lucien nodded readily.
“They said they’ll decide the boat order soon. Did you practice a lot over the break?”
“Oh, I bought a rowing machine too. How about yours? You took it home, right?”
Remembering late, I asked, and Lucien nodded affirmatively. I continued.
“I’m not sure how it’ll be on the boat. It’s different from the machine. I’m a bit worried.”
Laughing, Lucien made a strange expression. What? Did I say something wrong? Curious, he tilted his head and said,
“Then just buy a boat. There’s single-person ones, you know.”
“Uh…”
Surprised, I hesitated. Seeing me like that, Lucien added, seeming really puzzled.
“Isn’t it more efficient to practice on the water? The goal is to ride the boat anyway.”
“Uh… yeah, that’s….”
Surprised by his idea, I stammered. What if I’d asked my father to buy a rowing boat? Our family was fairly well off but my parents were always frugal. They wouldn’t let me buy anything unnecessary, and when I really wanted something, I had to convince them and then earn the money myself through work. So buying a rowing boat was unimaginable.
“So… you bought a boat?”
“Yeah. It’s more practical.”
Hesitantly, I asked again, and Lucien nodded. I suddenly felt the weight of his name, Hearst. Not only the buying method but also the fact that there was no place to row. Having a huge lake on the property was rare unless you were the Hearst family.
Just then, Lucien asked abruptly.
“Want to try it?”
“Huh?”
Blinking in surprise, I said nothing. He answered nonchalantly.
“I brought the boat, so you can ride whenever. We could borrow the school’s boat from the coach, but if anything gets damaged, you’d be worried too…”
“You brought a boat?”
My voice rose again. Lucien laughed, enjoying my reaction, and nodded.
“You can practice anytime.”
I never imagined such a thing. I was at a loss for words for all the kindness Lucien showed me.
“Thanks… but are you sure it’s okay? You have to ride too.”
“I’m fine.”
Lucien said readily.
“I just need to compete, but you don’t, right? Or did you change your mind?”
“No way!”
I hurriedly denied.
“No, I’ve practiced so much. I’m just grateful but not sure if it’s really okay…”
Trailing off, Lucien offered a solution.
“If it bothers you, we can split practice times. Decide convenient times separately and take turns. How about that?”
“Of course, sounds good.”
There was no reason to refuse. The conditions were more than favorable for me, and yet I felt a little uneasy. Lucien smiled and thoughtfully said,
“Then you pick the time. I’ll use the boat when you don’t.”
“No, it’s your boat, so you should decide.”
“I’m really fine.”
Lucien declined firmly but gently.
“I’m not good with a regular schedule. I’ll just use it when I have time. You can ride whenever you want.”
If I refused after he said that, I felt it would embarrass him. I accepted without further delay. After tidying up, Lucien took me to the storage where the boats were kept—a place used by the rowing team. Among the neatly arranged boats, Lucien took out his own and showed it to me.
“How’s this?”
“Amazing.”
I honestly expressed my admiration. The boat was very well maintained. According to Lucien, he had been using it throughout the break, but it didn’t seem worn out. While examining the boat, I suddenly asked Lucien,
“Did you name the boat?”
“Of course.”
His confident answer made me smile unconsciously. Without much thought, I asked,
“What is it?”
Lucien’s mouth slowly opened, and his eyes curved like crescent moons. He seemed unusually delighted and said,
“Dilly.”
I just stared up at his face, dumbfounded.
“Alright, that’s it. Get up, walk!”
The usual command came down. Rising and walking mechanically sometimes made me look like a zombie. I was one of those zombies too. Exhausted and staggering, I opened a water bottle to drink, but there wasn’t much left inside. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, disappointed by the lack of water, when suddenly someone handed me a bottle. Seeing who it was, my expression immediately softened.
“Emi.”
“Drink up, it’s fresh.”
Emilio held out the bottle again. I gratefully accepted it. I wanted to take it and leave, but since Emilio was still standing there watching me, I had no choice but to twist the cap open.
“Haah…”
The water tasted several times better than usual. Naturally, it was because Emi gave it to me. Looking down at Emilio, who was still waiting, I smiled once more.
“Thanks, you saved me.”
“That’s nothing.”
Emilio walked beside me and spoke naturally.
“The final test’s coming soon. They’ll post the final roster shortly. Not much time left.”
“Yeah, really not much left.”
And once the competition was over, this time would be over too. Even if I didn’t go to college, I wouldn’t be able to compete again, so continuing rowing would be meaningless. The coach would probably be puzzled as well.
Though practice was agonizing, leaving me gasping for breath, thinking about it ending soon made me feel a bit sad. After all, I’d been doing this for nearly a year.
“You’ll feel relieved when it’s over.”
Emilio said. When I looked at him, he smiled gently.
“I’m really glad you stuck with it this far. Thank you.”
His sincere words moved me deeply. My face flushed, and my mouth opened without control. If anyone saw me now, I’d look like a fool. That thought crossed my mind, but my mouth wouldn’t close, and I said in a voice anyone could hear, excited.
“I made it this far because of you.”
“What?”
Emilio asked again. At his question, my mind snapped back sharply. What had I just said?
Emilio looked up at me with a puzzled expression. I could feel the color drain from my face in an instant.