So this was what it meant to be too exhausted to lift a finger.
Ian had never imagined he would experience it firsthand.
After Ian finished the meal Yunhui had prepared for him, Yunhui took him to bed again. There hadn't even been time to consider resisting. The moment Yunhui released his pheromones, resistance became impossible.
Once Yunhui began releasing his pheromones, there was nothing Ian could do.
He had always known that an alpha would instinctively shrink back when confronted with a stronger alpha. But he had never imagined that the difference in strength could be so overwhelming.
His entire body became immobile, as though he had been bound by invisible chains. Even being put under anesthesia would have been preferable.
No, it wasn't the same as anesthesia.
He couldn't move his body, but every one of his senses remained painfully alert.
That was what made it so bewildering.
Whenever Kang Yunhui caressed his body or kissed him, something other than revulsion seemed to run wild inside him, threatening to drive him mad.
"Haa…"
Ian lay on his back and let out a long sigh.
He sensed movement beside him and turned his head.
Kang Yunhui's handsome, symmetrical face came into view. The movement Ian had felt was simply Yunhui turning onto his side to face him.
His eyes were tightly closed, without the slightest flicker. He appeared to be sound asleep himself.
Well, that was hardly surprising. He had been behaving like an animal around the clock. Even Kang Yunhui was bound to run out of stamina eventually.
Come to think of it, it had been a very long time since Ian had last seen Yunhui asleep.
Back in high school, Ian had often taken naps beside him, but he had never seen Yunhui sleeping.
The only time had been that day in the nurse's office, before Yunhui left for the United States.
He must have been seriously ill that day. Even in his sleep, his brow had remained furrowed. Every so often, the crease between his eyebrows had deepened, making Ian wonder if he was having a bad dream.
It had also been the first time Ian had ever wanted to protect him.
Yunhui had always seemed stronger and more unshakable than Ian himself.
Back then, Ian could never have imagined that the next time he saw Yunhui sleeping, it would be under circumstances like these…
He reached toward Yunhui's face, just as he had done that day in the nurse's office.
But unlike back then, his hand stopped in midair before it could touch him.
At seventeen, he had been able to place a hand against Yunhui's forehead without a moment's hesitation.
He couldn't do that now.
He had no idea how Yunhui might react if he touched him.
I really don't understand. What is it you want from me?
Nothing Yunhui had done since returning to Korea made sense to him.
There had been no need for Yunhui to prove his superiority over Ian in this way…
Most people who knew them had compared the two of them at every opportunity.
Academic performance, athletic ability, looks, family background—people were always talking about which of them was better at one thing or another.
The fact that they were constantly together only made it easier for others to compare them.
Yet Ian had never cared.
Losing to some other guy and dropping in the rankings would have frustrated and upset him, but losing to Yunhui had never bothered him in the slightest.
To Ian, Yunhui had truly been like a brother.
Sometimes, their bond had seemed to go beyond even that. In a sense entirely different from what Yudam meant to him, Yunhui had felt like his other half.
They hadn't been born to the same parents, but there had been a connection between them almost like that of twins.
At least back then, Ian had been confident that no one knew Kang Yunhui better than he did.
"Ten years really is a long time."
The words slipped out in a murmur, followed by a sigh.
The man lying in front of him now didn't seem like the Kang Yunhui he had known.
No. If Yunhui had simply become a complete stranger, Ian might have accepted that and given up trying to understand him.
But every now and then, he still caught glimpses of the Yunhui he remembered.
That was what made everything so confusing.
Ian wanted to wash up, so he climbed out of bed.
The moment his feet touched the floor, a sharp ache shot through his lower back.
The pain was worse than he had expected, and he found himself glaring at Yunhui.
That damned bastard.
He had kept at it for two whole days.
He wasn't human.
Was an alpha's sex drive normally that intense?
Ian had never experienced such powerful sexual desire for anyone, not even Yudam.
That was why he couldn't understand Yunhui.
Had he really brought Ian here just to use him as a sex toy?
Was Ian supposed to remain locked inside this house, doing nothing but satisfying Yunhui's sexual desires?
Whenever Yunhui had him pinned beneath him, Ian hadn't been capable of thinking about much of anything.
Now that he finally had the presence of mind to consider these questions, a long sigh escaped him.
Click.
Only after the bathroom door had closed did Yunhui open his eyes and sit up.
He gazed toward the bathroom, a faint smile curving his lips.
Ian's reaction hadn't been nearly as bad as he had anticipated.
Yunhui had even considered what he would do if Ian felt so humiliated that he threatened to kill himself.
"So sex alone isn't enough to break you after all."
He had suspected as much.
Despite his outward appearance, Seo Ian was a remarkably resilient person.
He treated everyone with warmth and gentleness, but very few people were capable of shaking him to his core.
Being kind to everyone could also mean that no one was particularly special to him.
What Yunhui wanted was Seo Ian himself.
That was precisely why, more than anyone, he wanted Ian to remain strong and hold his head high.
He had used his pheromones to overpower Ian and forced himself on him, but even then, Yunhui had repeatedly checked the look in Ian's eyes.
Although bewilderment clouded them whenever Ian looked at him, their clear light had never disappeared.
There were two reasons Yunhui had forced himself on Ian.
The first was that once Ian had slept with him, he would never be able to return to Han Yudam.
Knowing Ian's personality, Yunhui was certain that, having betrayed Han Yudam, whether willingly or unwillingly, Ian would never become involved with him again, regardless of what happened in the future.
The other reason was to mark his territory.
Ian was naturally insensitive to pheromones, so he probably hadn't noticed, but any alpha or omega with a keen sense of smell would immediately recognize Yunhui's pheromones lingering all over his body.
Yunhui had no intention of giving any other alpha or omega so much as an opportunity to set their sights on Seo Ian.
Since yesterday, Seo Ian had belonged to him.
His body, his heart—every last part of him.
*
By the time Ian finished washing and came out of the bathroom, Yunhui was already clean and fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed and checking something on his tablet.
Ian had no idea when he had found the time to get up and wash.
Yunhui raised his head and looked Ian over from head to toe.
"Looks like you remembered to bring your clothes this time."
He gave a faint, amused chuckle.
Ian let out a shallow breath.
If that bastard pounced on him again today, he doubted he would live to see a natural death.
He surrendered completely in the face of Kang Yunhui's animalistic stamina.
"How's your body?"
The question was missing the obvious Are you all right?
Ian clenched his fists.
This must be what they meant by a cat showing concern for a mouse.
He had already been startled half to death in the shower when he felt something trickling out of him from behind.
Just remembering the sensation made a vein seem to throb in his forehead.
"I'm fine. But inside…"
Putting it into words would be both humiliating and awkward.
To think he had ended up in a situation where he had to discuss something like this with Kang Yunhui.
The more he thought about how things had come to this, the more absurd it seemed.
"Inside what?"
Yunhui prompted him to finish.
Ian fell silent and stared at him.
Then he drew a deep breath that made his chest rise and fall before shaking his head.
"Forget it. It's nothing."
He wasn't an omega, so it wasn't as though he could get pregnant.
It was just rather unpleasant and uncomfortable. There wouldn't be any lasting consequences.
He saw no reason to endure the embarrassment of saying it aloud himself.
"You want me to stop coming inside you?"
Yunhui asked with a broad grin.
Apparently, he had understood perfectly well from the start and had only been pretending otherwise.
Hearing him put it so explicitly made Ian turn his head away.
He shouldn't have brought it up.
He could simply wash it out, and that would be the end of it.
"Are you scared? Think you might get pregnant?"
Ian couldn't even summon a sigh at Yunhui's shameless question.
"Don't be ridiculous."
He dismissed the nonsense and started walking past him.
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his waist.
Yunhui tightened his hold and pulled, dragging Ian toward him.
Ian still had little feeling below his waist, and before he could put up any resistance, he found himself lying on the bed.
In an instant, Yunhui turned and climbed on top of him.
"You never know. If we keep doing it, maybe you'll get pregnant."
Yunhui looked down at Ian and delivered the absurd suggestion with an utterly serious expression.
Ian met his gaze for a moment, then let out a short breath and pushed against his chest.
"I'd rather die than do it again."
He didn't want Yunhui to know just how badly he was suffering, but he was still aching inside.
Unlike an omega, whose body produced its own lubrication during sex, Ian's body wasn't equipped for that.
There was only so much the gel Yunhui had used could do.
A body that wasn't naturally suited to receiving someone had endured Kang Yunhui's raging lust.
There was no way he could be perfectly fine afterward.
Yunhui stared at him for a moment, then gave a quiet chuckle and drew back.
Ian was just beginning to feel relieved that Yunhui wasn't going to force himself on him again when a knock sounded at the door.
His heart nearly stopped.
Didn't you say there was no one else here?
He looked at Yunhui, the question written plainly on his face.
Whether Yunhui understood or not, he calmly told whoever was outside to come in.
The moment Ian saw the bedroom door opening, he scrambled upright.
"Your meal is ready. Secretary Park is also expected to arrive in thirty minutes."
Only then did Ian wonder what time it was.
He picked up his phone and checked.
It was much too late to call it breakfast, but still a little early for lunch.
"All right."
After answering the housekeeper, Yunhui turned toward Ian and gestured at the bedroom door with a tilt of his head.
He meant that they should go and eat.
Ian followed him out without a word.
But he couldn't stop wondering when someone else had arrived at the house, or whether they might have heard anything strange.
He was so preoccupied with the thought that he barely knew whether he was putting the food into his mouth or up his nose.