Omega Complex Novel (Completed) - Chapter 19

Domain

By the time I returned to the table, more time had passed than I thought. This was because time had been significantly delayed, once due to Kim Dohyun, and once due to getting lost in thought.

The club members were even more intoxicated than before, and Choi Taegyeom was sitting surprisingly upright. From his back, leaning against the chair, an inexplicably intimidating pheromone seemed to emanate.

“Sobered up a bit?”

“……”

Choi Taegyeom’s gaze turned to me. An inexplicable sense of unease filled his quietly settled eyes. He wasn’t like this earlier; was this a new drunken habit?

“……Why are you so late?”

He spoke in a slightly grumbling tone, sounding like he was whining, as if asking where I had gone, leaving him behind. His demeanor was so much like a child acting spoiled that, without realizing it, I stroked his head as if comforting a child.

“Sorry, I was talking with Kim Dohyun for a bit.”

His fine hair, smooth to the touch, softly fell back. As I gently caressed his neat forehead with my thumb, he blinked slowly, like a cat. I thought he might have sobered up a bit, but judging by how he rubbed his face against my hand, he seemed to still be getting drunk.

“What did you talk about?”

“Just this and that.”

Choi Taegyeom squinted his eyes and looked up at me. His flushed face and the overflowing pheromones seemed filled with a strange displeasure. Even while drunk, he clearly didn’t like me associating with Kim Dohyun.

“Your face is hot.”

It seemed that now, while he could still somewhat control his body, was the best time to take him home. If he got any drunker, it would surely be hard even to support him.

“Alright, put this on and let’s go home.”

I pushed away Choi Taegyeom, who kept clinging to me, and brought over the coat from beside him. He stared at my palm with dissatisfaction but put on the coat without a word as I helped him. After I carefully guided his arms through the sleeves and zipped it up, he tugged at my collar without moving from his seat.

“Don’t you have a coat?”

Perhaps it was due to the alcohol, but Choi Taegyeom was more endearing than usual. He was so cute, leaning on me as if he had returned to his small, delicate self from childhood. It was a good thing I went out for a smoke. If I hadn’t, I might have lost my mind and been swayed by his handsome face and pheromones.

“It’s not that cold, I’m fine.”

Getting ready to leave was quick. His bag was very light, and I had no trouble supporting Choi Taegyeom while carrying both bags. Choi Taegyeom hesitated briefly when he saw me carrying the bags, but soon he held onto my arm as if nothing was wrong.

“Minjeong, Taegyeom’s drunk, so I’m going first. Call me if anything happens.”

“Oh, Oppa. Are you leaving?”

“Yeah, see you next time.”

“Please go home safely.”

After finishing my goodbyes to Minjeong, Choi Taegyeom swayed and leaned against me. Feeling the sudden rush of pheromones, I cautiously put my arm around Choi Taegyeom’s waist. He leaned his body against me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and his head bumped softly against the top of my hat.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s go.”

Choi Taegyeom walked surprisingly steadily. He occasionally stumbled and leaned on me, but he didn’t seem completely out cold. He was clearly taller than Park Sung-jae, yet why was it easier to support him than Park Sung-jae?

“Are you leaving?”

Outside the bar, I ran into Kim Dohyun. Kim Dohyun, who seemed to have just returned from the convenience store with a plastic bag in his hand, reeked of cigarettes as he looked at us, and Choi Taegyeom covered my nose and mouth with his palm, emitting pheromones. Choi Taegyeom’s pheromones were far more overwhelming than Kim Dohyun’s cigarette smell, so what was the point of covering my mouth?

“Uh… you too, drink moderately and go home.”

I slowly caught my breath and removed Choi Taegyeom’s hand. Choi Taegyeom, who had frowned for a moment, let out a slightly stronger pheromone. He seemed unaware that we were outside, looking like someone clearly wary of Kim Dohyun.

“Please go home safely.”

Fortunately, Kim Dohyun said nothing more and simply bid us farewell. As he smiled politely, Choi Taegyeom’s pheromones gradually faded. Kim Dohyun brushed past us and whispered in a low voice.

“And what I mentioned earlier…”

The hand wrapped around my shoulder seemed to tighten. It was a small sound, but in this street, Choi Taegyeom would have heard it too. I instinctively looked at Kim Dohyun, and he grinned, continuing his sentence.

“I was serious, so please think about it slowly.”

“……”

“Then, I’ll head in.”

With those words, Kim Dohyun returned to the table without hesitation. Choi Taegyeom glared at Kim Dohyun, gripping my shoulder as if to crush it. He didn’t even know what we had talked about; he just seemed to dislike Kim Dohyun himself.

“Ow, you idiot. Don’t press so hard.”

When I poked his hand and spoke, Choi Taegyeom immediately loosened his grip. He leaned his head against my hat and let out a long sigh. The wildly overflowing pheromones clearly expressed his unpleasant mood.

Coming out onto a slightly larger street, taxis waiting for customers were lined up. It was a weekday night, so there were few customers and many taxis. I naturally intended to pick one and get in, but Choi Taegyeom casually held me back.

“I want to walk a bit.”

He didn’t say anything as we walked. He just slowly lifted his feet and occasionally leaned on me. Looking at the pheromones surrounding him, he was clearly upset, but I felt hesitant to even speak to him.

In fact, I had a hunch about why. He had told me not to associate with Kim Dohyun, and we had a disagreement, if not a full-blown fight, after that conversation. But now we were in the same club and even at the same drinking party, so Choi Taegyeom must have been dumbfounded. On top of that, I had promised to take him home, but then made him wait a long time while talking to Kim Dohyun.

“You’re not cold, are you?”

Eventually, unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, I spoke. Choi Taegyeom paused in his steps and pulled away from me. His slightly furrowed brows conveyed a look of “Oh, right.”

“I’m not cold…”

He trailed off and reached his hand towards my ear. His body temperature was so high that the touch on my ear was incredibly warm. Could a person’s body temperature really be that hot? He gently caressed my ear and leaned weakly against me.

“I think you, Lee Yoonwoo, might be cold.”

His large body embraced me. No, more accurately, it was closer to him pulling me into a hug. He leaned his body against me, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and rubbed his face against my neck. The sensation of his skin against mine was excessively stimulating.

“……I’m dizzy.”

My whole body stiffened. Thump, thump, my heartbeat was shockingly clear. There must be a pulse in my neck too, and in this position, he would quickly notice my pounding heart. So I awkwardly pulled my body back, but Choi Taegyeom didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned into me with more weight, truly seeming quite dizzy.

“That…”

My voice wouldn’t come out. His body heat was fully transmitted, making me nervous to even say anything. It had been chilly earlier, but now my stomach felt hot. Meanwhile, he casually buried his nose in my collar and sniffed.

“You smell good.”

“What are you talking about…”

How could I smell good after smoking several cigarettes? If anything, Choi Taegyeom should be the one smelling good.

“Stand up straight. Huh?”

I spoke as if comforting a child, but he didn’t straighten his body. Every time Choi Taegyeom exhaled, the area around my neck tickled. Moreover, without me noticing, his pheromones were subtly seeping out.

“Haa…”

When we were little, I often hugged Choi Taegyeom. Despite being the same age, his small stature was so cute that I would just grab and hug him without asking his permission. Each time, Choi Taegyeom would squirm and grumble, but he would eventually settle quietly in my arms.

But now, the situation is reversed. It was Choi Taegyeom who was hugging me, and I was the one resisting to break free. When did he grow so much? The boy who was always so small was now so big it felt suffocating.

Helplessly, I pretended to give in and wrapped my arms around Choi Taegyeom’s back. My face was burning hot, but as long as Choi Taegyeom didn’t know, it was fine. That the embracing position was embarrassing, and yet my heart was wildly fluttering. It was fortunate that the alley was dark and sparsely populated.

“Are you very dizzy?”

“Yeah.”

The answer came back immediately. Each time I stroked Choi Taegyeom’s back, once, twice, he would flinch. A sudden gush of pheromones filled my entire body with heat.

I didn’t believe in clichéd expressions like “I wish time would stop.” I also didn’t know that touching someone you liked could be so embarrassing. I liked Choi Taegyeom, but that feeling had been dormant for five years. But now, it felt as if those suppressed emotions were pouring out.

“……Then what should I do?”

Really, what should I do about this situation? Choi Taegyeom was just drunk, but I was having all sorts of selfish thoughts alone. Even though I knew I couldn’t keep this up, I didn’t want to escape his embrace. Even though I knew I should hail a taxi and send him home, I wished I could enjoy this moment a little longer.

“I’ll call a taxi right away, so…”

“If I get in a car, I feel like I’ll throw up.”

Choi Taegyeom shook his head vigorously and hugged me even tighter. The wildly flowing pheromones had also become denser. If I let my guard down even a little, omega pheromones might gush out. No, perhaps my body would react first, like last time.

“What do I really do…”

I knew it in my head. That if I resisted more strongly, he would let me go. I was also an adult man, and with a little effort, pushing him away wouldn’t be difficult. If I just released my hands and pushed his shoulders, Choi Taegyeom would meekly step back.

But a sly part of my mind kept ignoring that thought. When else would you get to hug him if not now? Just pretend you don’t know and stay like this. The swelling selfish desires kept whispering to me.

“Lee Yoonwoo.”

It was then that Choi Taegyeom called my name. As I flinched, coincidentally having lewd thoughts, he spoke in a languid voice.

“Let me sleep over for one night.”

“……What?”