Alpha Trauma Novel - Chapter 40. Spring Breeze (3)

The fingertips that had touched his lips felt as hot as if they had been burned. Those lips, which always wore a soft smile, felt incredibly soft to the touch. Wooyeon felt as if he might faint at any moment and quickly turned his back to Dohyun.

“……”

He simply couldn’t bring himself to look at Dohyun. He barely managed to stop his pheromones from bursting out, but he couldn’t prevent the hiccups that kept escaping him. His face flushed a deep red, and a heat incomparable to anything he’d felt before enveloped him.

“I-it’s almost time to go in…”

Wooyeon walked straight forward, not even knowing the direction. If he didn’t move like this, his highly agitated pheromones felt like they would burst out uncontrollably. It wasn’t bravado for nothing. What on earth had he been thinking, reaching out his hand to Dohyun?

“Wooyeon.”

Dohyun called him back when Wooyeon had taken three steps. Wooyeon was still swallowing his hiccups, suppressing his pheromones. When Wooyeon slowly turned around, Dohyun, with a faint smile, gestured with his chin to the opposite direction.

“You have to go that way.”

After saying that, Dohyun walked ahead. Wooyeon followed him with quick steps, trying to calm his pounding heart. His throat kept feeling parched.

As Dohyun had said, the theater was smaller than Wooyeon’s house. Perhaps because it was a popular movie, the seats were full, and the two of them were about midway back. Thanks to booking early in the morning and the awkward screening time, they managed to get decent seats.

As soon as Wooyeon sat down, he checked the armrest on his right. In movies and dramas, there were often scenes where people would lift the armrest in a movie theater and lean on each other. Just then, Dohyun, who was to Wooyeon’s right, whispered in a low voice.

“What, should I raise this for you?”

Wooyeon’s eyes widened, and he nodded. And in an equally low whisper, he spoke.

“Does this really go up?”

“It does.”

Dohyun moved the drink he had placed there and readily lifted the armrest. Wooyeon, marveling at how it went up to the same height as the backrest of the chair, imitated what Dohyun had done. He lowered it, raised it, then lowered it again, and casually asked Dohyun.

“Can I leave it up?”

“Do whatever’s comfortable. Put your drink on the other side.”

Wooyeon took the drink from his hand and moved the armrest. It certainly felt different with it removed, but leaning on the person next to him like in movies or dramas seemed impossible. He probably wouldn’t last two hours leaning like that without his spine bending.

‘I wasn’t going to lean anyway…’

He had moved the armrest with plenty of ulterior motives, but fortunately, Dohyun didn’t seem to notice. He probably just thought that Wooyeon, being at a movie theater for the first time, wanted to try everything. Wooyeon hugged the popcorn tub close, his heart filled with excitement.

Before the movie started, various types of advertisements played on the screen. From currently released movies to those coming out next month. Simple ads like refrigerators and food also appeared, and as soon as an ad for a certain corporation came on, the couple sitting next to them started talking.

“Wow, they’re even building apartments there now.”

“They have an orphanage in their foundation, too. They’ll probably build a country soon.”

The sound of their snickering laughter stuck in his ears. It wasn’t particularly loud, but he distinctly heard, “They say that family is a complete mess there.” Wooyeon scratched the popcorn tub with his fingernails, trying to avert his attention from them.

“Wooyeon.”

Just then, Dohyun leaned his head toward Wooyeon. A lazy alpha pheromone wafted from him as he drew near. Wooyeon deliberately leaned closer to Dohyun, offering his ear slightly.

“You said you’re good at watching horror movies, right?”

The whispering sound was strangely sensual, like a breath. Though the content wasn’t anything special, his lower belly tensed. As Wooyeon straightened his back, Dohyun spoke in an even gentler voice.

“If you get scared, tell me. We can leave midway.”

Wooyeon nodded his head repeatedly instead of answering. The couple’s conversation had already ended, and the corporate ad had switched to another. Soon after, the movie began, but Wooyeon’s mind was filled only with Dohyun’s voice.

As it turned out, the movie wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t as good as the previous series, but viewed individually, it could be rated quite highly. Wooyeon barely remembered the previous plot, but he could guess that the identity of the culprit revealed at the end was a twist that ran through the entire series.

“You really are good at watching scary things.”

Dohyun seemed genuinely surprised looking at Wooyeon, who didn’t even bat an eye. And no wonder, as Wooyeon was calmer than anyone else in the theater. Dohyun also watched it fairly well, but he occasionally frowned during some of the more gruesome parts.

“Things made up aren’t scary.”

The only time Wooyeon reacted was during an unexpected sex scene that appeared midway through. It wasn’t a necessary part, and it wasn’t even that genre of movie, yet the sexual intercourse between an Alpha and Omega was depicted like pornography. Wooyeon flinched every time he heard moans from the speakers, stealing glances at Dohyun.

Once, in the dark, their eyes met precisely. Their gazes were locked before he could even look away, and they didn’t diverge until the lewd moans ceased. Dohyun, whose eyes had been filled with boredom, wore a subtle expression the moment he looked at Wooyeon.

“What do you want for dinner?”

“…Ah.”

Wooyeon, who had been lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality. The hazy image of Dohyun vanished, and the real Dohyun appeared before his eyes. Wooyeon shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again.

“Anything for dinner is fine.”

Dohyun curved his lips into a loose, amused smile. “Anything…” he murmured, then winked his left eye at Wooyeon.

“Anything but chicken and cheap stuff?”

“…I eat cheap stuff.”

Wooyeon touched his earlobe, telling a lie no one would believe. He had been caught out by the quick-witted Dohyun regarding his food preferences, but admitting it himself felt different. Dohyun narrowed his eyes, contemplating, as if it didn’t matter.

“What should we go eat…”

Wooyeon also thought of various foods. However, most were restaurants that required reservations, and they were places where his mother would surely be contacted if he visited. There was one suitable place, but he didn’t know how to suggest it.

“…If it’s okay with you.”

Wooyeon rolled his eyes around and spoke first. No matter how much he thought, a good excuse wouldn’t come to him, and Dohyun wouldn’t misunderstand. No, even if he did misunderstand, it wouldn’t really matter.

“Would you like to come to my house?”

They say life is a comedy when seen from afar, and a tragedy when seen up close. The nightscape adorning the night sky, too, erased the tragedy contained within it the further one saw it from afar. Wooyeon recalled Garam’s words from sometime ago, “Night views are all the struggles of office workers,” and gazed outside.

“It’s pretty at night.”

Dohyun also uttered a simple impression, looking at the scenery spread out beneath the terrace. The city viewed from the high penthouse had a different charm than when they had seen it during their study session last time. Although Wooyeon, who saw it every day, felt no particular emotion, Garam and Seongyu would probably have loved it if they had seen it.

‘Since you showed me a movie, I’ll treat you to dinner.’

Dohyun didn’t show any surprise when Wooyeon suggested going to his house. He merely lowered his gaze as if contemplating for a moment, then asked in a gentle voice.

‘Are you sure?’

Wooyeon nodded instead of asking what he meant. If he had never been there, it might be different, but since he had already visited once, he had no hesitation in inviting him. Dohyun seemed to have more to say, but when Wooyeon made a dejected face, he nodded.

And so, dinner was set on the widest terrace of Wooyeon’s house. Thanks to Wooyeon contacting the staff in advance, a complete meal was ready when they arrived. Dohyun let out a wry chuckle at the table setting, which was comparable to any high-end restaurant.

“Showing one movie feels too extravagant for this.”

“…They seemed a little excited since I said I was bringing a friend.”

In fact, Wooyeon was also a little flustered by the dinner spread on the terrace. Aside from showing off their cooking skills beyond measure, there was even champagne placed in the center of the table, setting a nice mood. It was clear they had made full preparations, as Wooyeon, who usually skipped meals, was bringing a friend.

“For now… I’ll eat well. Please tell the person who made the food that I’m grateful.”

Dohyun spoke in a gentle voice and naturally picked up his cutlery. He didn’t hesitate about what to pick up first, nor did he fluster or flounder. He simply chose an appetizer precisely from among the scattered dishes and began to eat with his usual neat movements.

Occasionally, Wooyeon had thought that Dohyun’s actions were excessively organized. He never crossed his legs, never rested his chin on his hand, never hunched over like others when sitting, nor did his gait falter when he walked. The perfectly trained demeanor, just like Wooyeon’s own, revealed the environment in which he had grown up.

“…Would you like some champagne?”

Wooyeon, feeling inexplicably melancholic, brought over the champagne placed in the middle. He hesitated, wondering how to open the cork, when Dohyun chuckled wryly and rose. He took the champagne from Wooyeon’s hand and spoke in a soft voice.

“If I drink this, I won’t be able to drive.”

Belatedly, Wooyeon remembered that Dohyun had driven. He couldn’t drive after drinking, nor could he call a driver for Dohyun. He certainly couldn’t tell him to sleep over unless he was crazy, so it was a clear slip of the tongue. So he tried to push the champagne away again, but Dohyun gently curved his lips.

“Are you really sure?”

“…About what?”

He felt an uneasy premonition. Dohyun was smiling gently, but it felt like unkind words were about to come from his lips. The gentle and kind voice sent a wave of alarm down his spine.

“What do you mean, ‘what’?”

Dohyun replied calmly, looking at the champagne label. “This is surprisingly high in alcohol content,” he said, and with him, came that familiar dry pheromone. As the pheromone wafted over with the spring breeze, Wooyeon unconsciously straightened his back, waiting for him to finish.

“You remember, Wooyeon.”