Basel, Switzerland.

A city that hosts Art Basel—one of the world's three major art fairs—and a cultural capital overflowing with more than forty museums and countless galleries.

Liu and Ihyeon had spent a week here, and today was their last day in Basel. Tomorrow, they would board the TGV back to Paris. Their nearly forty-day "European Art Museum Tour" was finally drawing to a close.

On the final day of their long journey, the two visited the Kunstmuseum Basel.

They had already spent about two days here on a previous visit, but had planned to come once more on their last, unhurried day.

On a weekday afternoon, the museum was not merely quiet—it was almost entirely deserted.

The Kunstmuseum Basel had undeniable historical and architectural value, but the reality was that it didn't house many famous works with broad popular appeal. Outside of the Art Basel season, it was rare for foreign travelers to make a special trip to this small city just to see Picasso's early works. Most of the handful of visitors were Basel residents.

As Liu strolled through the museum, his gaze suddenly fixed on one spot.

Chagall's The Cattle Dealer.

A group of children who looked to be in elementary school were clustered beneath the painting with their instructor. Seated on the floor, each child had opened a sketchbook and was moving their pencil.

It appeared to be a lesson where they freely sketched whatever came to mind after viewing the Chagall. A common sight in European art museums.

Liu observed them from a respectful distance, careful not to disturb.

Though he hadn't mentioned it to Ihyeon, he had visited the Kunstmuseum Basel at least ten times—for travel and for work alike. He had just been thinking about setting out to find Ihyeon when he came across this interesting group.

Among them, one child in particular caught his eye.

A child wearing round, thin black-rimmed glasses, with an introverted air that nonetheless carried no timidity. The tightly pressed lips and the clear, bright eyes darting busily behind the lenses gave an impression of composure unlike that of other boys his age.

The child was completely absorbed in his own world, moving his pen in what was almost a trance. The commotion of friends playing right beside him didn't seem to reach his ears. He didn't flinch even when an elbow accidentally poked him mid-play.

Wasn't Ihyeon probably like this as a child?

Thinking that while watching the boy, Liu found himself genuinely missing Seo Ihyeon.

He checked the time on his wristwatch.

"I won't be long."

"You can take your time looking around."

"I'm just going to skim through the works I want to see one more time."

It had already been two hours since he'd parted from Ihyeon, who had said those words at the museum entrance. He checked his phone—no messages.

And yet somehow, Liu felt he could find Ihyeon without needing to call. He felt he knew exactly where in this vast museum Ihyeon would be.

He moved his feet, which had stilled for a moment.

As he passed the child with the round glasses, he stole a glance—the boy was drawing a cartoon beneath Chagall's painting. Liu shook with a quiet chuckle. Still, the skill was undeniably impressive.

If the child resembled Ihyeon, he'd probably have a talent for art as well.

Not just Ihyeon, but his mother and father—and even my own mother—both families overflowing with people who painted. So our child might be talented in art too. Though it wouldn't matter if they wanted to do something completely different.

Lost in such thoughts, Liu exited the exhibition room and moved down the hallway searching for Ihyeon. Then he abruptly stopped walking, shook his head, and scoffed at himself.

I haven't even gotten married yet, and here I am thinking about children.

Lately, I've been getting ahead of myself far too often.

After traveling together for over a month, spending twenty-four hours a day side by side, I've fully immersed myself in the feeling of cohabitation rather than simply being in a relationship. That's the problem.

Where was that Liu Weikun who claimed he only wanted Seo Ihyeon and had never once considered having children?

Tsk. Liu clicked his tongue at himself, straightened his expression, and started walking again.

Of course, it's not that I specifically want a child right now. I'm simply imagining a future for Ihyeon and me that follows a natural progression: falling truly in love, promising each other forever, getting married—and then a child coming after.

Ihyeon hadn't even fully manifested as an Omega yet.

The child was just a vague fantasy. What I want is marriage with Ihyeon. A legal, social union. That's my true desire.

Where was the Liu Weikun who used to think there was no need to marry, that simply cohabiting was enough—whether for a Beta couple or an Alpha-Omega couple?

After meeting Seo Ihyeon, countless versions of Liu Weikun had vanished into the past, into a history he wanted to deny.

Literally a dark history.

Muttering this, Liu slowed as he reached the entrance to another exhibition hall.

The very person who had changed him so much was standing right there.

A smile bloomed on Liu's lips the moment he spotted Ihyeon's back. It was a smile captivating enough that passersby glanced over—a smile reserved for the one he loved.

Just as expected.

Ihyeon stood before a work by Egon Schiele.

One of Schiele's self-portraits.

Instead of approaching immediately, Liu leaned his shoulder diagonally against the wall beside the exhibition hall entrance. Ihyeon's posture was one of total absorption. It seemed best not to disturb him.

Standing there, Liu gazed at Ihyeon instead of the artwork. Within the frame of his vision, that scene was itself a work of art—one that sparked a desire to possess it, one he wanted to look at forever.

Ihyeon was often called "the Egon Schiele of our time."

After a prominent Dutch critic first coined the comparison, hardly an article about Ihyeon was published without that expression.

Ihyeon showed neither a positive nor negative reaction to it. He seemed largely unbothered—treating comparisons like "the next XX," or "the Eastern XX," or "the Western XX," as phrases commonly used in any industry.

Yet for a serious artist diligently devoted to their work, being compared to someone else could hardly be welcome.

Nevertheless, Ihyeon held more genuine interest than aversion toward Schiele.

During this trip, the two had spent far longer than planned at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Austria—their four-night, five-day schedule extended by an extra day. All because of Schiele's work.

Here at the Kunstmuseum Basel, a few of Schiele's pieces were also on display. Not particularly famous ones. But that was irrelevant to Ihyeon.

Ihyeon always stopped before Schiele's work—from a distance, then up close. From the overall power of the piece down to the smallest brushstroke. He studied it with intense focus, as if intent on absorbing every last detail into himself.

Even now, Ihyeon stood motionless, facing the artwork.

As though engaged in a confrontation.

What world was he wandering through right now?

As when watching Ihyeon completely absorbed in his work from behind, a sense of alienation and loneliness washed over Liu. A dark greed—the kind he knew was unhealthy, warped—slowly writhed inside him: a desire for all of Ihyeon.

This was why he had almost lost Ihyeon.

Even so, that dark greed had not been completely rooted out. The saving grace was that he had learned how to handle it.

No need to be impatient. Ihyeon would show through his art what world he was encountering. After setting down his brush, he would certainly return to me. Unchangingly, he would look at me, smile, embrace me, and tell me he loved me. So I just needed to wait here. Like an adult. Or it didn't matter if I only pretended to be one.

Liu pulled out his phone and opened the camera app.

The moment Ihyeon's back, facing the painting, fit perfectly into the frame he wanted, Liu held his breath and pressed the shutter.

Immediately after the shot, the shoulders of Ihyeon—who had been standing perfectly still—seemed to give a slight tremble. Then he slowly turned away from the artwork.

The face that had been lost in deep concentration lit up radiantly the moment it spotted Liu. Seeing that transformation, Liu felt a wave of relief and happiness so profound it ached in his chest.

If he waited, Ihyeon would return to him.

The happiness of confirming that fact once again.

Ihyeon's approaching footsteps gradually quickened. Liu straightened from his lean against the wall and wrapped an arm around Ihyeon's shoulder in greeting. Ihyeon's body warmth and scent felt wonderfully familiar—as though they'd been apart for days.

"How long have you been here?"

"Hmm... since the man in the blue shirt and the woman in the plaid hat walked by without even glancing at the paintings—just looking at Seo Ihyeon."

"Oh, right..."

Ihyeon's reply was listless. Even so, he wrapped his arm around Liu's waist. Finding him endearing, Liu swept the hair from Ihyeon's forehead with the arm already draped over his shoulder and playfully teased him.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I do. In Awi's imagination, I'm suuuuper popular."

"I knew it. How can you not believe what your lover tells you? Huh?"

Liu playfully nipped at Ihyeon's cheek and earlobe. Ihyeon tried to fend off the attack, hunching his shoulders. His cheeks, puffed up from holding back laughter, were endearing. They continued down the hallway and descended the stairs, trading these childish games back and forth.

A middle-aged woman began ascending the stairs from the floor below. Only then did Liu stop his antics.

"But how did you know I was there? I was actually about to call you."

"I followed the scent of your pheromones."

"...You're lying."

Ihyeon, who had been walking down the stairs, stopped abruptly. He raised his arm, buried his nose in it, and sniffed. Liu, watching from a couple of steps below, reached out and gently drew Ihyeon's arm back down.

"Of course I was lying, Ihyeon."

Even so, Ihyeon still looked uneasy. Liu walked back up the stairs, faced him, and cupped both his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I was just joking."

"You're really not, right? My pheromones... they aren't leaking out, are they?"

"There's no way your pheromones would come out when I'm not around."

Although Ihyeon was taking suppressants as a precaution, he was not yet producing Omega pheromones. Right now, the only pheromone from Ihyeon was the Diamond Dust scent—something only Liu could detect. He hadn't been stimulated by any other Alpha's pheromones either.

There were only two instances when pheromones would be emitted from Ihyeon: either by being stimulated by pheromones Liu released first, or by Ihyeon feeling sexual desire for Liu and unconsciously releasing his own first.

"If you'd reacted to some other guy, that would have been a real problem, huh?"

"......"

"Or maybe you were attracted to someone else besides me? Is that it? Who was it?"

At Liu's exaggerated, clumsy performance, Ihyeon finally managed a small smile. Liu met the eyes of Ihyeon—laughing there in his hands—and returned a gentle smile of his own. He gave a quick kiss to those pretty lips, then draped his arm over Ihyeon's shoulder again.

Just then, their eyes met with the middle-aged woman, who had climbed to about five or six steps below them. She smiled warmly at the pair as if finding them lovely.

Liu gave her a slight bow and smiled back. Ihyeon, his face flushed to the earlobes, quickly dropped his gaze after a brief nod, hiding his face slightly behind the back of his hand.

"We're stopping by the souvenir shop, right?"

At Liu's question, Ihyeon nodded, keeping his head bowed low. Liu pulled him closer by the shoulder and pressed his lips firmly against his temple.

"The lady's already far away. You can look up now."

"......"

Ihyeon raised his head, but his eyes, when they met Liu's, held a trace of reproach. Liu, of course, pretended not to notice.

"I seem to remember buying quite a few different things here the last time I visited. I hope you find something you like, Ihyeon."

The "European Art Museum Tour" had begun in London. The two traveled from Paris to London, spent a week there, then flew on to Amsterdam. After passing through Berlin and Munich, they went to Prague, then to Vienna, Austria—and this city, Basel, Switzerland, was their final destination.

Whenever they found a gift shop in the museums and galleries of each city, Ihyeon carefully browsed the merchandise. If nothing particularly caught his eye, he left empty-handed. But he always bought at least one postcard.

Then he would write a short message on the back and mail it from a post office in that city.

The postcards were addressed to his father, by the East Sea in Korea.

At the Kunstmuseum Basel, Ihyeon chose a postcard featuring a print of a Chagall work—The Cattle Dealer. The child who resembled Ihyeon had been sitting in front of it... Liu glanced briefly at the postcard over Ihyeon's shoulder and smiled silently at the simple coincidence.

"You said your father likes Chagall, right?"

"That's right."

There was a faint loneliness in Ihyeon's face as he answered, but Liu didn't try to comfort him with words. Instead, he gently stroked Ihyeon's arm and kissed the nape of his neck, full of warmth.

When Ihyeon was around sixteen, his family had planned a "European Art Museum Tour."

However, after Ihyeon's mother passed away in an unforeseen accident, that plan—once like a balloon swollen with bright hope—was brutally dashed into the mud, its air let out all at once.

Furthermore, although it was his mother who died in the accident, from that point on, Ihyeon felt as though he had lost both his mother and his father—each in a different way.

No matter which of the places the three of them had planned to visit together they went to now, memories of his mother and father, of the joy and sorrow they'd shared, would inevitably surface.

That was why, when Ihyeon told him he wanted to take this trip together, Liu was speechless for a while. It held a significance too immense for words.

First, he was deeply moved that Ihyeon had reached a point where he could follow through on a trip his family had planned during happier times.

And then—the fact that he himself had been chosen as the companion for that journey stirred a complex wave of emotion within him.

It was an overwhelming feeling. As if he had been accepted as a new member of Ihyeon's family.

Whenever Ihyeon chose a postcard, he was deliberate. Whether at the museum café, on a bench on some street, or at the post office itself—he was careful when writing the message. Sometimes it was only a line or two, finished quickly. Other times he pondered for a long while.

Occasionally, after mailing a postcard, Ihyeon would fall silent for a long time. Even then, he never treated Liu as though he weren't there. Instead, he would lean on Liu's shoulder, take his hand, or even lift Liu's arm himself and nestle beneath it.

Holding and kissing Ihyeon, who was acting more childlike than usual, Liu felt grateful to be by his side in these moments.

Having purchased just one postcard, the two made their way across the courtyard toward the gallery's main entrance. The central courtyard was flooded with warm autumn sunlight and a pleasant breeze. Truly perfect weather for traveling.

"What should we do for dinner tonight? I have some gnocchi dough left over that I froze."

"Hmm..."

"We had it with cream sauce the day before yesterday—should we try tomato sauce today?"

"Well, it is the last day of our grand tour, though."

"Does Kun have something in mind?"

"I was thinking we could both dress up nicely and go somewhere with a great atmosphere."

"That sounds good too."

In the center of the courtyard stood Rodin's The Burghers of Calais. A couple struggling to take a selfie in front of it caught their attention. They couldn't seem to fit the sculpture into the frame.

As Liu and Ihyeon drew closer, Liu naturally spoke first.

"Shall I take a picture for you?"

"Oh, would you? Thank you. We couldn't get even half the sculpture in when we tried ourselves."

The woman handed her phone to Liu with a look of relief.

Their comfortable walking attire and excited energy made it clear they were travelers. It was unusual to visit Basel outside of Art Basel season—they must be true art lovers.

"Wow, these look great! I love them!"

After looking at the four or five photos Liu had taken, the woman couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

"The composition is wonderful! I never would have thought to take a picture like that. My wife always scolds me for being bad at photography. Nice to meet you, I'm Felix."

The English of the man who introduced himself as Felix carried a strong German accent. Liu shook his hand and introduced Ihyeon as well.

"I'm glad you like them. I'm Liu. This is my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ihyeon."

"Ih—..."

After shaking Felix's hand, Ihyeon turned to introduce himself to his wife as well—only to be met with a look of confusion on her face.

"Is my name difficult to pronounce?"

"No, that's not it... Are you... are you perhaps the artist Seo Ihyeon...?"

"Yes, that's him."

Liu wrapped an arm firmly around Ihyeon's shoulder and answered on his behalf.

"This is impossible... How could we run into you here... Is this really possible..."

The woman couldn't finish her sentence. After pressing her fingers to her forehead and repeating "Oh my God" several times, she finally shook her head and collected herself.

"Oh, I'm Lina. I'm sorry. We're really huge fans of your work, Ihyeon."

"Lina is especially enthusiastic," Felix added.

Her husband Felix chuckled and added, "Lina still can't take her eyes off Ihyeon. She looks like she's just been slapped."

"Actually, I'd been sneaking glances at you ever since Liu was taking our picture. I kept thinking, 'I've seen that face somewhere before...' How can such a coincidence happen?"

"Lina, calm down a little. You had so much you wanted to say. If you just ramble on like this, you'll regret it later, won't you?"

"Yes, you're right, honey."

While Lina took a deep breath to compose herself, Felix spoke up.

"Ihyeon, compared to your work, your face isn't shown around very often, is it? I was doubtful myself. I hope it's not too rude to ask..."

"Not at all. Ihyeon is quite shy, but he actually enjoys meeting and talking with fans. Right?"

Liu, still with his arm around Ihyeon's shoulder, looked at his face with affection as he asked.

"That's true, but... the word 'fan' is a bit..."

This kind of thing had happened three or four times during their trip. They seemed to encounter someone who recognized Ihyeon about once every ten days. Since they were traveling mainly to museums and galleries, the probability of running into such people was naturally higher.

Each time, Liu felt proud—and while Ihyeon was glad that people appreciated his work, he felt awkward with the word "fan." He wasn't an actor or a singer, nor was he a famous painter. He'd confessed as much to Liu over dinner one evening, saying he felt too embarrassed whenever someone called themselves a fan.

"Why? We really are your fans!"

Lina almost shouted it. Felix nodded in agreement.

"We have many acquaintances around us who want to collect Ihyeon's work."

"But we always fail to acquire any—the competition is fierce."

An impromptu fan meeting unfolded right there in front of The Burghers of Calais.

They spoke about the Colorful Ghosts series, the Journey of the Clouds series, and the Colorful Monsters series—and it was clear they weren't just saying it. They were truly ardent fans of Ihyeon's work.

Suddenly, Lina's expression and voice—which had been flushed and excited as she spoke about her impressions of Ihyeon's work, like a fan who'd just met an idol—became calm.

"Ihyeon, don't pay attention to comparisons to Schiele."

The sincerity came through clearly—this was something she absolutely had to say.

"Of course, Schiele is a wonderful painter, and I love his work. But Schiele's work is fundamentally rooted in anguish, persistent sorrow, and a resignation that cannot overcome those things. Does painting boldly and deviating from mainstream style automatically make someone a Schiele?"

"She always gets heated whenever someone compares Ihyeon to Schiele. Goes on about how the art critics must have bad eyes."

That was Felix adding his two cents.

Lina continued to speak to Ihyeon with an earnest gaze.

"Even when Ihyeon's work looks strange at first glance, that's never all there is to it. It's imbued with a warm perspective on people and a hopeful expectation that doesn't give up on the future. Schiele and Ihyeon are artists with entirely different colors."

Liu felt grateful to her. He could have said those words to Ihyeon himself—but sometimes, one sentence from a near-stranger resonates more deeply than ten from someone very close. Everyone has had that experience.

"I feel encouraged hearing you say that. Thank you. I'll definitely think of this whenever I feel lost."

Lina seemed genuinely moved by Ihyeon's response.

"It's an honor that you would think of me, Ihyeon."

"He didn't say he'd think of you. He said he'd think about what you said."

Lina playfully jabbed Felix in the side as he grumbled.

"Are you jealous? Are you jealous?"

"Yes, I'm starting to get a little jealous. You're acting so happy right in front of me."

"Oh, honestly... you're still this adorable."

The hand with which Lina lightly tapped Felix's cheek was full of warmth. They were a couple radiating passionate, pleasant energy.

They asked a passing visitor to take a group photo of all four of them in front of The Burghers of Calais.

After getting Ihyeon's autograph inside the novel she was carrying, Lina beamed with pure happiness, like a young girl. Faced with that unguarded smile, even Felix didn't complain this time.

"I'll keep meeting you two a secret."

Clutching the signed book tightly to her chest, Lina said, face flushed with excitement.

"A secret?"

"That Seo Ihyeon the artist looks like a popular model who usually dresses casually, or that he has a handsome boyfriend like an actor—I will absolutely, positively never tell any of our acquaintances things like that."

"Oh no. Please, spread the word far and wide."

"You're sure that's okay?"

"Of course. Especially the second part. Please spread the word about the boyfriend with great intensity."

Everyone took Liu's words as a complete joke and laughed heartily. Liu felt a little disappointed that his sincerity hadn't quite gotten across.

"This will be the best memory of this trip. Thank you both."

With Lina's farewell, the four of them waved and parted ways. Lina and Felix headed into the museum for their visit, while Liu and Ihyeon walked toward the main entrance.

"Lina seems to have a good eye in many ways."

Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Liu said this while giving Ihyeon, walking beside him, a serious once-over.

"A popular model who usually dresses casually... I think that's quite an accurate description."

"Stop teasing me."

His lover's reaction, as expected, was far from enthusiastic.

"Teasing you? I'm saying it because I'm proud."

Liu bristled at the injustice of it, then immediately changed his tone and shrugged.

"It's about 90% pride and 10% disappointment that I wish you would remain only my Seo Ihyeon."

"Are you sure it's only 10% disappointment?"

"Hmm... to be honest, maybe 50/50?"

Ihyeon laughed as if he couldn't help it.

When Ihyeon laughed, Liu had no choice but to laugh along.

As they stepped out through the main entrance, the abundantly ripe autumn sunlight overflowed onto the street.

"Should we stop by Migros on the way home to grab some groceries?"

"I thought you wanted to celebrate our last day at a nice restaurant?"

Aware of Ihyeon's puzzled gaze, Liu took the sunglasses tucked into his left breast pocket and put them on.

"Because I don't think Seo Ihyeon would allow a deep kiss at a fancy restaurant."

"During a meal, or even at home... it's still not allowed, you know?"

"Well, you never know if I act charming enough."

He stopped, reaching for Ihyeon, whose face was already flushing again. Liu took Ihyeon's own sunglasses—dangling from his neckline—and placed them on his face himself. Then he found Ihyeon's hand, grasped it, and they began walking through the autumn streets of Basel.

Across the intersection, the green tram they needed was waiting. The pedestrian signal had just turned. Liu, holding Ihyeon's hand, took long strides across the road diagonally.

They managed to catch the tram with almost no time to spare.

The tram ride took less than ten minutes. Although the interior was mostly empty, the two of them leaned against a pillar by the window instead of taking seats. It made them feel like teenagers.

Inside the swaying tram, they faced each other with about a foot of space between them. It was thrillingly charged.

Throughout the trip, they had slept in the same bed every night, sharing a relationship so passionate and intimate that not a single day had passed without them touching before sleep. And yet, being in a public space forced them into a kind of abstinence where they could only look at each other. Just a single step separated them.

Liu could see in Ihyeon's eyes that he too was aware of this tension—could feel the heightened sensitivity, as if their skin had grown more susceptible to touch.

Keeping his gaze fixed on Ihyeon, Liu took out his phone.

He activated the camera, pointing it at the subject before him.

He had taken quite a few photos and videos of Ihyeon during this trip. Having been so constantly in front of the camera throughout their travels, Ihyeon now looked rather comfortable in front of Liu's lens.

The autumn afternoon of Switzerland shimmered through the tram's large window. Golden sunlight mixed with orange hues caught a sparkle as it passed through the glass, falling transparently over Ihyeon's skin. On the screen, Ihyeon pursed his lips into a shy smile—but he didn't look away from the lens.

This moment of mutual acknowledgment through the lens only doubled the tension between them.

Liu recalled a memory of visiting Hong Kong with Ihyeon.

In a noisy bar on Soho Street, Liu had captured Ihyeon's image on camera. Ihyeon, slightly tipsy from the alcohol, had then asked to see what he'd photographed.

I'd quickly pulled my arm in the opposite direction, avoiding Ihyeon's hand as he reached for the camera—but unlike usual, he hadn't backed down easily. Ihyeon leaned in so close he was nearly falling into my arms as he gestured for it.

That sweet warmth of his body, mixed with the scent of sweat drifting from his nape.

What could I possibly compare the illusion of that moment to?

"Um... I don't think I should show you."

"Why not?"

"Seo Ihyeon, you're a fortune-teller. If you look at my photo, you'll read everything in it."

"...Read what?"

"......"

How I was looking at you.

A photographer's feelings for their subject seep into the photograph. The better someone is at handling a camera, the stronger that quality becomes—the same way someone skilled at painting expresses themselves more fully.

At that time, Liu couldn't yet show his photographs to the unknown entity that was Seo Ihyeon. Because the way he was looking at him would be exposed.

Ihyeon in that picture had been captivating. He looked like a mysterious stranger hiding a secret story that piqued curiosity. That was only natural—because Liu, who took the picture, was looking at Seo Ihyeon as someone attractive and mysterious.

An unknown entity who emitted pheromones despite clearly being a Beta. One who had detected and reacted to Liu's pheromones.

My one and only Diamond Dust.

Now, that person was standing before him as his lover.

Liu pressed the shutter, trapping Ihyeon in this moment within the frame of the screen.

Then he reached out and lightly tapped Ihyeon's cheek with the back of his hand. Even such a small, insignificant touch turned tension into a tremor. Ihyeon's eyelashes fluttered, his lips parted slightly, and he swallowed dryly. Liu observed every one of those minute reactions.

The tram took a wide right turn around Christoph-Merina Park. Ihyeon's grip tightened on the slender green pole as he steadied himself.

"But why Migros today instead of Coop? Coop is closer."

"The post office is near Migros."

"......"

"You need to send a postcard to Korea."

A subtle shift came over Ihyeon's gaze. He was touched.

Liu leaned forward, bringing his lips close to Ihyeon's ear.

"What, were you hoping I'd give you a proper kiss?"

"...N-no, I wasn't?"

The afternoon sunlight was growing even softer, mellowing like ripe fruit. The scenery before them looked faded and warm, as if already receding into memory. Suddenly, Liu felt it was a shame to let this moment pass.

Closing the distance of that single step, Liu moved closer to Ihyeon and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He gently stroked Ihyeon's warm hair, which seemed to hold the sunlight.

Ihyeon lifted his chin to look up at Liu's face. Then he pressed a light kiss right on Liu's lips—as if reading Liu's unspoken feeling and offering quiet comfort. The lips that received the kiss tingled with happiness.

Even if this moment were to be pushed into the past, what did it matter?

This unknown entity would make every approaching moment shine with mystery and delight.

Today was being filled with the best moments. Just like yesterday.

· · · · ·

"Kun, how about a shared apartment for our accommodation? We could even cook for ourselves—wouldn't that be fun?"

Ihyeon had said that when they were just starting to plan the trip.

They were apart—one in Paris and the other in Seoul—and as usual, they were on a video call date.

Liu, whose list of hotels he wanted to stay in with Ihyeon for each city was already full, had responded lukewarmly at first. Ihyeon, by contrast, actively pushed the idea, even sharing webpages of the accommodations he'd looked up himself.

"Could you look at this link? This one is in London. It has a separate bedroom, the kitchen is quite well-equipped, and though small, it even has a bathtub. Isn't the interior cute?"

"Hmm, it is cute, but... since it's a small private home, won't it be a bit inconvenient? And it's in Zone 3—a bit far from where the museums and galleries are concentrated."

"I suppose Kun would find it a little... uncomfortable if it's not a hotel?"

"I'm fine with it. Anywhere is good as long as I'm with you. But I want to show you a lot of places. It's not just about luxury—there are hotels with genuine historical, aesthetic, and architectural value. We don't get to take a long trip like this often, so it's a good opportunity."

After hearing Awi's words, Ihyeon seemed to pause in thought on the screen. Then he opened his mouth in his characteristically careful, calm tone.

"I know very well that Awi has so many things he wants to show me and make me experience. I don't intend to simply reduce all of that to money and reject it because it seems beyond my means."

"Um... I feel like there's a 'but' coming after that."

Ihyeon chuckled at Awi's remark and continued.

"But, just for this trip, I'd like Awi to match my economic level. Just this once. Okay?"

"Ah... pleading like that with a cute 'Okay?' That's too unfair."

Already more than half defeated by Ihyeon's rare display of cuteness, Liu threw his head back, covered his face with both hands, and made a show of frustration.

"Think of this trip as Seo Ihyeon inviting Liu Weikun."

"A trip where Seo Ihyeon invites Liu Weikun. If you put it that way, I can't argue anymore. How did I end up with such a smart lover?"

Liu's resistance ended without ever mounting a real fight. The two agreed to use shared accommodations for the entire trip.

However, a new kind of pleasure that Liu hadn't anticipated was waiting for him on this trip of shared lodging.

It was a pleasure they wouldn't have found staying at a historic luxury hotel with all its services at hand.

That pleasure was getting a glimpse of what living together would actually be like.

· · · · ·

While Ihyeon wrote a postcard at the standing-height table in the center of the post office, Liu looked around the interior.

It was brighter and cleaner than he'd expected, looking quite modern. Various postal-related items were also for sale—postcards, writing paper, envelopes—which made it look almost more like a stationery shop than a post office.

Liu's gaze wandered over the displayed merchandise before returning to Ihyeon. Standing diagonally across the table, Ihyeon kept his eyes lowered as he quietly moved his pen. Today, his strokes seemed particularly decisive.

Liu, who had been watching with his chin propped on his hand, took out his phone.

Silently, he captured another moment of Ihyeon on the screen.

Almost at the same time, Ihyeon set down his pen and looked up, searching for Liu.

"I'll go mail this."

Liu smiled briefly and nodded.

When Ihyeon came back after mailing the postcard at the counter, his expression looked somehow lighter than before.

Liu, who had been leaning against the central table, extended a hand to him. Ihyeon approached with quick steps and took it.

The street they stepped onto, hand in hand, offered plenty of sunshine and breeze.

"What are we eating today?"

"Hmm... what sounds good? We're at least making gnocchi with the leftover dough."

"But the amount of dough is awkward."

"Right?"

"It's a bit too little for both of us to share as a meal, but a bit too much for one person."

"Then should we grill a steak to share alongside it?"

"Sounds great!"

"So cute."

Looking down at Ihyeon's face, free of any wrinkles as he smiled, Liu stroked his cheek with one hand and kissed him.

As the trip continued, Ihyeon had grown quite accustomed to these brief, open-air kisses. Sometimes, as he had just done on the tram, Ihyeon would even initiate one himself. Though it was rare.

They headed toward the supermarket, swinging their clasped hands back and forth like children.

Their Basel lodging was just behind the SBB Station, in a quiet residential area slightly removed from the city center.

It was convenient that Coop, a popular Swiss supermarket chain, was only a two-minute walk from their accommodation, and Migros, another chain, was five minutes away. For the past week, the two had stopped at one or the other almost every day on the way home.

On days they didn't eat out, they would sometimes buy ready-made pizza or salads, or pick up bacon, bread, eggs, and tomatoes for Liu to make an English breakfast. They'd also found a few varieties of Korean ramen for sale, which they had cooked and eaten a few days prior.

Ihyeon still found it amusing to watch Liu eat ramen or a hamburger.

"It's because you look like a prince trying something for the first time."

That was the reason.

"You do know I've eaten these before, right?"

When Liu retorted with a sulky look, Ihyeon would laugh his bright, innocent laugh, and Liu would have no choice but to laugh along. It was as if Ihyeon were a device programmed to make him laugh whenever he smiled. Even Liu sometimes found it absurd—but what could he do? He liked it.

It was a little early for the evening grocery run, so the supermarket was quiet.

They headed to the fruit and vegetable section first, loading the cart with ingredients for the main dishes and a side salad. The cart quickly became a riot of color.

"Hmm... where are the sauces and pasta again?"

"Over there. One, two, three... the fourth aisle."

Ihyeon pointed toward the long stretch of shelving. Liu draped his arm over Ihyeon's shoulder and steered the cart expertly with just one hand.

"You look like a local. So dependable."

"I've been here a few times."

"We're leaving just when we're starting to get attached. Right?"

"......"

Ihyeon pressed his lips together for a moment, then spoke with composure.

"It's a trip. That's just how trips are."

His manner—acting as though he understood the whole world—struck Liu as so childlike that he burst out laughing. He pulled his arm from Ihyeon's shoulder around to his neck, leaned in, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Ihyeon, turning shy again, hid his flushed face behind the back of his hand and glanced around nervously.

"Embarrassed again?"

"We're outside."

His small, muttering lips were so adorable Liu could have swallowed them whole. But he held back.

"Where did the bold man who kissed me first on the tram go?"

"Back then... Awi looked lonely.... Oh? This is what Yuni nuna asked me to buy. I almost forgot."

With that, Ihyeon walked ahead toward the display shelf where the snacks were kept. It seemed Yuni had asked him to bring back some specific Swiss snack. There was no way Ihyeon had actually forgotten—he was the type to meticulously prepare gifts for his colleagues at The Hands and the Phantom crew back in Seoul from every city he visited. He was just making up an excuse because he was shy.

Liu let out a small chuckle at Ihyeon's retreating figure as he walked ahead, awkwardly swinging his long legs. That chuckle soon softened into a warm, quiet smile.

So that was it. On the tram, he had sensed Liu's momentary emotion. And he kissed him first to offer comfort. Someone who turns bright red all the way to his neck and ears from a brief kiss in a deserted corner of a supermarket. For me. It had to be love.

Liu broadly wiped his mouth and slowly pushed the cart in the direction Ihyeon had disappeared.

Ihyeon was carefully examining the snack Yuni had requested. Behind him, Liu also spotted something.

"Ihyeon, they have these here too. Should I get some?"

What Liu was holding up and shaking was a bag of mouse-shaped gummies by a famous brand. Ihyeon had stopped him from buying the same thing in Berlin. This time too, Ihyeon furrowed his brow slightly and shook his head.

"Don't you remember the licorice-flavored jelly we bought last time?"

"Hmm?"

"The jelly that looked like a tire."

"Ah..."

"You bought it because you thought it looked fun, but in the end you said the taste was weird and it looked weird, so you ate one piece and never touched it again. Let's pass."

"But look how realistic this shape is. It really stirs up my competitive spirit."

Liu shook the bag of pink and white mouse gummies.

"Awi, for someone with such a strong sense of adventure, your range of taste is surprisingly narrow. You're actually quite squeamish."

Liu burst out laughing at Ihyeon's plausible assessment.

"Am I really like that?"

"You try all sorts of things out of curiosity, but you end up disliking most of them. It's been like that this whole trip."

"Well... now that you mention it, it really does seem that way."

"I told you so."

Liu obediently put the bag back. Then, leaning over the cart with a grin, he looked at Ihyeon. Ihyeon, placing the selected snacks into the cart, glanced sideways at Liu with an expression of sudden foreboding.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking that Seo Ihyeon has been observing me very closely."

"Well... of course."

To admit it so readily. That was another unexpected reaction. Liu's curiosity and playfulness were piqued at the same time. Pushing the cart toward the sauce and pasta aisle, Liu pressed right up against Ihyeon's side.

"Why? Why is it obvious?"

"......"

When Ihyeon turned to look at Liu, his eyes held a faint trace of resentment—the look of someone who knew Liu couldn't easily say things like that, yet still wanted to hear them spoken aloud.

Because you're my boyfriend. Because I love you. Ihyeon stared hard at Liu's face, which clearly expected an answer along those lines, then quickly turned his head away.

"Because if I don't keep an eye on you, Awi immediately fills the cart with all kinds of strange things."

"Ah, I see. Alright then. I'll take your word for it."

Even without hearing the words he wanted to hear, Liu was simply enjoying this time. Shopping together was a special kind of date that could only exist when they were heading back to the same home. It was different from dates at restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, galleries, or parks.

Liu's Apartment 601 in Paris also served as their hideout, and they would shop together for supplies and groceries there too. But the longest Liu ever stayed in Paris was about five days. This was the first time they had genuinely lived together—returning to the same home for such an extended stretch.

Of course, there had been a time when Ihyeon lived at Liu's residence in Seoul. But even then, they had separate bedrooms. They'd had no leisure for the small daily rituals of shopping together or cooking. Back then, Liu had been consumed by a pathological obsession, constantly chased by anxiety.

All of that time had been swept away into the past. They had endured the time it took for Liu's sins to come to light, and the time of repentance and forgiveness.

Recalling those days—parking his car a little way from The Hands and secretly watching Ihyeon—felt as distant as a memory from a past life. Not faded, exactly. The time he spent wandering like a ghost after losing Ihyeon could never truly fade.

Just thinking back to that period gave Liu a slight chill.

He brushed the back of his neck with his palm, feeling the dizzying, creeping sensation of falling from a great height. He shook his head to clear it and hurried after Ihyeon.

The pasta and sauce aisles faced each other down one corridor. They didn't actually need to buy pasta today since they had leftover gnocchi dough, but it was a convenient setup all the same.

Holding a glass jar of tomato sauce in one hand and cream sauce in the other, Liu asked Ihyeon,

"Which one are you leaning toward today?"

Ihyeon, who had been scanning the shelves a few steps away, glanced over.

"Or maybe basil pesto?"

"Hmm... what about Awi?"

"I asked first."

At Liu's childish retort, Ihyeon let out a small laugh and replied,

"Then let's go with basil pesto today."

Liu smiled, satisfied, and returned both jars to the shelf. He then began deliberating over which brand of basil pesto to choose from the four varieties.

"Should we make mackerel pasta instead of gnocchi? I saved a recipe I found on YouTube."

"Mackerel pasta? You said you didn't like it last time, Awi."

"Have we ever actually put mackerel in pasta?"

With a jar of sauce still in his hand, Awi furrowed his brow. He clearly didn't remember at all.

"The day we had Yuni nuna and Michelle over."

"Ah..."

Only then did Liu nod, narrowing his eyes. The taste he hadn't cared for came back to him.

Liu readily abandoned the mackerel pasta idea and showed Ihyeon one of the three types of basil pesto he'd been comparing.

"Should we go with this one?"

"Sounds good."

"Then all we need now is the steak."

Pushing the cart with only his left hand, Liu wrapped his free arm around Ihyeon's neck again. He rubbed his nose affectionately against Ihyeon's temple and murmured in a low voice.

"The day we made the mackerel pasta."

"......"

"The sex we had that night was so good it wiped out all my other memories."

"......"

Pretending to be calm, Ihyeon tried hard not to let any change show on his face. But his earlobes and the rims of his ears, instantly turning flushed and hot, could not lie.

"Seo Ihyeon was especially forward that night, wasn't he?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe it was the mackerel? Then maybe I should add mackerel today too?"

"If you're going to keep joking like that, I'll go wait at the checkout."

Oh no—had he taken the joke too far?

When Ihyeon's voice went grumpy like that, it meant Liu's teasing had reached an unbearable level. Liu hastily grabbed Ihyeon's arm as he started to turn away. He wrapped his arm from behind across his collarbone and over his shoulder, and pleaded while pressing a kiss to his temple.

"I'm sorry. Don't leave me."

Even while grocery shopping for dinner at the supermarket, their own little drama unfolded several times over. Liu knew anyone who saw it would click their tongue and call it childish—but he found this moment thoroughly enjoyable.

"Don't say things like you're going to leave me."

Ihyeon gently wrapped his hand around Liu's wrist where it rested on his shoulder and murmured. Even though his voice still sounded a little displeased, he was bothered by Liu's use of the phrase "leave me"—worried that this was how Liu perceived their past separation.

Ihyeon's concern sent a sharp pang through Liu's chest. He rubbed his nose against Ihyeon's temple and whispered,

"Yeah, I won't. My angel."

· · · · ·

Whether at Coop or Migros, most checkout counters operated on a self-service basis. Self-checkout machines were becoming the trend in supermarkets across Europe, Paris included.

Liu and Ihyeon pushed their cart toward the self-checkout area.

It was a quiet time, so most machines stood vacant. With so few people around, the elderly woman struggling with her credit card in front of a touchscreen stood out all the more.

Liu noticed Ihyeon's gaze drifting toward her and smiled silently.

"Should we help her first, then check out ours?"

Ihyeon nodded and carefully approached the woman to speak to her.

"Hello. May I offer some help?"

"Oh? Ah, would you? Thank you so much... I think I'm confused because this isn't somewhere I usually go."

Fortunately, she readily accepted the kindness. Noticing a French accent in her English, Ihyeon naturally switched to French.

"Even in familiar places, I sometimes get mixed up myself."

"You speak French?"

"Not very well."

In the meantime, Liu also approached and exchanged greetings with the woman. As Ihyeon scanned barcodes, Liu placed the items into her shopping bag. The woman watched the two work in easy harmony and then looked closely at their hands.

"Your rings are very pretty. Are you a couple traveling together?"

"...Yes."

Ihyeon answered with a slight pause, feeling shy. Liu glanced at him and let out a quiet chuckle. The woman then gestured toward Liu and asked Ihyeon in a low voice.

"Husband? Boyfriend?"

"Ah... well..."

Ihyeon hesitated and couldn't answer right away. His face turned scarlet up to his forehead in an instant—more flustered than usual, in a way that seemed strange. Liu stepped in smoothly for the uncomfortable Ihyeon and answered with a cheerful smile.

"Boyfriend."

"You're both very handsome. You look wonderful together."

"Thank you. Though I'm not quite as good-looking as my boyfriend."

At Liu's easy remark, the woman laughed warmly. Ihyeon, his face still red, silently scanned another barcode. His cheeks were so flushed he looked almost on the verge of tears.

When Liu handed over the shopping bag, now filled with all her items, the woman thanked him again and again.

"Thank you. This would have taken me twice as long on my own."

"Not at all. It was nothing."

"There's usually a staff member around to help, but I don't see anyone today."

She looked around with a dissatisfied expression, then seemed to remember something and tugged on Liu's arm. It wasn't an invitation to follow—it was a signal to lean in and listen closely. Liu stooped down to lower his height.

"Try hard to make him your husband. Don't let a good young man like that get away."

Liu gave an awkward smile and glanced over at Ihyeon. His face was red again as he scanned their own groceries at the register. He had clearly heard.

"Yes, I'm already working hard to be liked."

"There are many Betas who discriminate against same-sex relationships, even if they're Alphas and Omegas. But don't worry about it. My wife and I have lived well for forty years now. We raised two sons and one daughter together."

Liu had guessed from the beginning that she was an Alpha. Even with pheromones weakened by age, he could still detect that much. It seemed she had been married to a female Omega. She appeared to be perceiving Liu and Ihyeon as an Alpha-Omega couple.

Unions between female Alphas and female Omegas, or male Alphas and male Omegas, were now recognized in many countries—but forty years ago, when she got married, prejudice had still been rampant.

Betas, who make up the vast majority of the world's population, had long been considered the standard of normalcy. Couples whose pairing wasn't a male Alpha and female Omega were seen as aberrant. This was especially harsh for female Alphas or male Omegas. Women who could impregnate or men who could become pregnant were regarded as grotesque mutations by Beta standards.

"Even while raising children, we weren't recognized as a couple. We only became legally married thirty years ago."

As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with emotion, as if that day were happening right now.

"It was the best day of my life."

"I can imagine. I can certainly picture how happy you must have been."

Liu nodded with a warm smile, genuinely moved by her.

The moment you are officially recognized as a married couple with the person you love. How could it not be the best day of your life? If you had spent years fighting for recognition day after day, that emotion would be even more indescribable.

Liu and Ihyeon's gazes met.

They didn't say anything, but they both felt they were thinking the same thing.

Feeling sorry for having held them up, she bought a bouquet of purple chrysanthemums from the flower shop near the entrance and pressed it into their hands. The two accepted the gesture with gratitude, without declining.

As they parted ways with her and stepped out of the supermarket, the entrance was filling up with people arriving for their evening shopping.

"Perfect timing. I'm starting to get hungry. Are you hungry too, Ihyeon?"

"A little. But let me carry some of this too."

"Just hold the bouquet carefully so it doesn't get crushed. What's there to divide up when it's only this much?"

To prove it was nothing, Liu lifted the shopping bag up to eye level.

"Don't pretend to be strong. Those sauce jars are glass, and you're carrying two bottles of wine too."

"It's not pretending—I really am strong. This is what you keep a sturdy boyfriend around for."

"Awi always uses the excuse of 'only one bag' to make himself carry everything."

"When there are two bags, I share with Ihyeon."

"I always end up with the lighter one."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not a complaint, but..."

"It's simple. I'm bigger, so I carry the bigger load. When Ihyeon gets bigger than me, I'll ask Ihyeon to carry the heavy one."

Ihyeon couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it. Liu held out his empty right palm.

"Instead, hold my hand."

"Fine. I'll at least do that much for you."

Ihyeon clasped Liu's large, broad hand, and Liu swung their joined hands back and forth as they walked.

"'At least that much'? I enjoy grocery shopping with you for exactly this reason."

"If it gets heavy, tell me right away. There's another bag folded inside."

"Got it."

They walked down the quiet street exchanging this kind of nonsensical chatter, heading back to the same destination. Liu's mind kept returning to what the old woman had said. Not so much returning as unable to let it go.

"Try hard to make him your husband. Don't let a good young man like that get away."

Marriage with Ihyeon.

There wasn't a day he didn't think about it. During this trip, he had thought about it almost obsessively.

They say that even close couples fight when they go on a long trip or live together. Except for minor spats born from light jealousy, the two of them hadn't once slightly hurt each other's feelings over the past forty days.

Of course, he wasn't under the illusion that they would never fight if they spent their whole lives together. But he had a strong conviction that with Ihyeon, they could wisely overcome any crisis. And if they did fight over some issue, it would surely be his own fault.

He wanted to officially become Seo Ihyeon's man right then and there.

The ring he wore—the one Ihyeon had personally chosen and placed on his finger—held deep significance for Liu. Setting that aside, couple rings were something even middle schoolers just starting to date could have. He wanted to be bound to Ihyeon in a way that was more complex, more intense, more thorough—socially, legally, administratively.

But he had made a promise.

"You don't need to feel any obligation regarding this ring."

"Go wherever you want to go, do whatever you want to do, and have whatever experiences you desire. And someday, when the thought of wanting to wear this ring naturally arises within you... that's when we'll get married."

Ihyeon was only twenty-five years old.

Even if they were to marry, Liu intended to fully support his work—but he couldn't ignore the psychological weight that the institution of marriage placed on a person.

He would wait. He had to wait.

He could not allow his desire to consume him again and ruin everything.

"The flowers smell wonderful, don't they?"

Ihyeon, who had been burying his nose in the chrysanthemums, held the bouquet up beneath Liu's chin. Liu tilted his head, inhaled the scent, and narrowed his eyes.

"Not as good as Seo Ihyeon's pheromones."

"......"

Startled, Ihyeon quickly pulled the bouquet away as if hiding it—as though he were afraid the flowers might actually smell like his pheromones.

Jokes like that, using pheromones as the subject, were something only lovers could share. Exposing one's pheromones to another was, in itself, an act as intimate as exposing one's naked body—no, more intimate than that.

"You weren't this sensitive about pheromones before."

"That's because... I didn't know back then."

"Didn't know what?"

"......"

"That even when Seo Ihyeon says he dislikes something, his pheromones reveal everything honestly?"

Ihyeon was becoming more and more like an Omega. It was similar to the process of learning a new culture in a new country. Every Alpha and Omega had been a Beta before their manifestation, so it was a necessary stage for everyone—but Ihyeon's reason for manifesting was special. Liu couldn't help but find his adaptation and growth both admirable and a little heartbreaking.

"Awi is the same way."

"Me? Why me? I'm honest even with my words."

Looking genuinely wronged, Ihyeon wrinkled his nose—a rare sight. Liu dove toward him and peppered kisses all over his cheek. He was happy.

Suddenly, Liu felt a strong sense of déjà vu about this moment—about the two of them as they were right now.

He soon realized where the feeling came from.

It wasn't something he had experienced with Ihyeon.

Back when he was stalking Ihyeon and searching for an apartment in Paris, on the day he went to view what would become Apartment 601, Liu had stood at the window looking down at the street. A male couple leaving a supermarket after grocery shopping had caught his eye. He had envied their peaceful Saturday as they walked down the street holding hands.

The only difference between them and us now is that we don't have a baby.

He wanted to tell his past self to wait a little longer. That such a wonderful day would come. That Seo Ihyeon was worth waiting a lifetime for.

But there wasn't much need to say it. Because the Liu of that time had already known that fact well.

· · · · ·

Their lodging was on the first floor of a quaint two-story detached house.

There was one bedroom separated only by a wall with no door, and the large window in the combined living room and kitchen overlooked a well-maintained courtyard. They had already enjoyed breakfast three times at the small table there over the past week. They also appreciated that the building was quiet despite facing the road, because the windows looked out over the courtyard.

Even though they had only stayed a week, they had grown quite accustomed to the neighborhood's atmosphere and the house itself. The way they unlocked the door with the key and stepped inside felt so natural that the two of them looked less like visitors and more like residents.

"Shall we start cooking right away?"

"Yeah, let's. Can you start organizing the ingredients? I'll put the flowers in a vase first."

"Then, Awi, could you also take out the gnocchi dough?"

"Got it."

Ihyeon chuckled at Liu's playful tone.

While Ihyeon unpacked the groceries, Liu first took the dough out of the freezer. Then he spread out the chrysanthemum bouquet and filled a vase with water. Using the scissors provided with the accommodation, he trimmed the stems to match the vase height. All the while, he hummed unconsciously.

Ihyeon, laying items out from the grocery bag onto the counter, suddenly said in a voice tinged with regret.

"We're leaving tomorrow, and I think I bought way too much of everything."

"Let me see."

Liu, scissors in one hand and flowers in the other, came over to look.

Italian persimmons, Swiss figs, South African tangerines. Three or four kinds of vegetables, 500 grams of sirloin for steak, bacon, basil pesto sauce, Mövenpick ice cream for dessert—Ihyeon had chosen mango sorbet, Liu chocolate—plus two bottles of wine.

"Hmm... No, I don't think it's too much. After breakfast tomorrow, there won't be anything left, right?"

"Are we really going to eat all of this?"

"Of course. I plan on using up quite a lot of energy tonight."

"......"

At the mention of sex, Ihyeon immediately clamped his mouth shut. It was his strategy of pretending not to have heard.

When they talked about things like this outside, Ihyeon felt more guarded than shy—worried about who might be listening. But alone like this, it was different. The shyness and tension were sharper here. He was acutely aware that this was a place where they could ignite at any moment.

The very fact that Ihyeon was conscious of this thrilled Liu all the more. He couldn't help but tease him more deliberately when he saw that kind of reaction. What could he do when someone was simultaneously so cute and so sexy?

And besides, tonight was the final night of their forty-day trip. Even if the world ended, he had no intention of letting this night pass uneventfully.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Ihyeon began organizing the ingredients with unnecessarily fussy movements. Liu wore a faint smile but didn't press him further.

By the time Liu had cleared away the cut stems and wrapping paper and arranged the flowers in the vase, Ihyeon was looking down at his phone by the counter.

"Did you get a message?"

"It's Gabriella. She's asking what time would be good for checkout tomorrow."

"Hmm... our train is at 10:34, so shall we say around 8:30?"

"Sounds good. I'll tell her that."

Gabriella was the host of the accommodation. She lived on the second floor of the adjacent building and ran a café downstairs. When they checked in, they met her, exchanged greetings, and were treated to welcome coffees at her café—during which she also gave them information about the city.

Though her manner of speaking was brusque, she was someone who expressed kindness through actions rather than words. Whenever the two were having a late breakfast in the garden, she would bring them lattes from the café. She also shared chestnuts she had gathered from a nearby mountain. It was Gabriella who told them that chestnuts and acorns were abundant throughout most of the Swiss highlands in autumn.

Among the shared accommodations they'd stayed in over forty days, some were managed by professional companies and others had no-contact systems where they never saw the host at all. But every host they did meet in person had been kind. With a few of them, they'd connected well enough to go out for meals together or exchange email addresses.

"Ihyeon, once you're done with those messages, could you wash the vegetables?"

"Yes, got it."

Seeing Ihyeon absorbed in messaging, Liu slipped away toward the bedroom. Being careful not to make noise, he took a large beach towel from the closet and spread it out over the bedsheets. This was in preparation for what would come after dinner.

Unlike hotels, you couldn't change the sheets in a shared rental as often as you liked. It was possible for an additional fee, but no spare sheets were left out for guests to change themselves. That meant they couldn't fall asleep on fresh sheets after sex.

With that in mind, Liu had packed three beach towels before the trip. It had significantly added to the volume of his luggage—but that was no matter. For Liu, those towels were as essential as condoms were for a Beta man heading on a trip with his lover.

During sex, Ihyeon secreted a considerable amount of arousal fluid. Lately, the amount had been increasing even more. Liu didn't want Ihyeon to be unable to focus because he was worried about soaking the sheets. He also wanted him to be able to sleep on clean sheets afterward.

After spreading out the towel, Liu took out a small cardboard box from the nightstand drawer. It was an oral contraceptive for Alphas, to be taken before intimacy.

Ihyeon had not yet fully manifested as an Omega, so the chance of pregnancy was close to zero. His doctor had even advised that contraception wasn't strictly necessary yet. Still, Liu couldn't let his guard down. Ihyeon wasn't just any Beta going through the process of manifesting as an Omega—he was the Diamond Dust.

The moment he tilted his head back and swallowed the pill without water, Ihyeon's voice grew closer from the hallway.

"Kun, I finished washing all the vegetables. Do you want me to open the wine ahead of—uh...."

Ihyeon, who had just stepped into the bedroom, stopped dead in his tracks.

His gaze, having caught Liu swallowing the pill, shifted to the box in Liu's hand. His face, already flushed crimson just from that, burst into flame the next moment—he had seen the towel spread out on the bed.

Liu, who had also paused momentarily, returned the box to its place and spoke as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, opening the wine now would be good. But I'll do it. Just in case you hurt your hand."

Liu circled around the bed and placed both hands on Ihyeon's shoulders from behind. He nudged the bewildered Ihyeon toward the kitchen. Without a word, Ihyeon kept his head bowed and moved as Liu guided him.

In the awkward silence, Liu opened the wine and Ihyeon put water on to boil the gnocchi dough. Liu, stealing glances at Ihyeon from the corner of his eye, approached the induction cooktop where he was standing as if unconcerned. Then, as he put the corkscrew away in a drawer, he tossed out the words casually.

"I was just taking my medicine, Ihyeon."

"...I know."

After closing the drawer, he placed his hand on Ihyeon's shoulder and moved close behind him. His lips grazed the curve of Ihyeon's ear. Liu added in a murmur,

"I wasn't masturbating."

"Ugh, seriously...!"

Ihyeon's flushed face snapped around toward Liu. He pressed his left ear—where Liu had whispered—with his hand, his eyes full of reproach. Liu poked his cheek with one finger and smirked.

"Are you still that embarrassed just seeing me take my birth control? Still?"

"I'm not embarrassed. I was just... caught off guard."

Ihyeon turned his head, trying to leave the spot. Liu caught his arm and drew him back into a light embrace from behind.

"But once we get started… Seo Ihyeon, you're not exactly innocent, are you?"

"That's because of the pheromones!"

"Ah... so you can't help it when you're exposed to pheromones."

"That's right. Kun, you know what happens when we're exposed to pheromones."

"I thought maybe you were just like that because you love me so much."

"......"

Seo Ihyeon, unable to deny it, was unbearably endearing.

The struggling to get free from his arms gradually stilled. Liu gazed down at Ihyeon's flushed cheeks and earlobes with quiet contentment. But Ihyeon, biting his lower lip, murmured in a small, slightly aggrieved voice.

"Awi too..."

"Hmm?"

"Awi is embarrassed right now too."

"I am."

"......"

A bewildered look came over Ihyeon's face—the look of someone who'd momentarily lost their words. Why is he admitting it so readily? That was the expression.

Liu released Ihyeon's waist and walked toward the counter. Though he wasn't going to eat any, he idly fiddled with the persimmons Ihyeon had washed and piled there. Then he let the truth out.

"I suppose I still want to be the perfect man in front of you."

"......"

No reaction. A wave of unease prompted Liu to turn back. Ihyeon was frowning slightly, as if he didn't quite follow what Liu meant. After watching him for a moment, Liu decided to speak his heart and let out a quiet sigh.

"When the mood builds and we go to the bedroom, I want to show you the perfectly prepared result. I don't want you to see me getting ready for it."

He felt like a teenage boy, awkward and unsure when it came to love. But he didn't hate that feeling. He did want to be someone perfect for Ihyeon—but more than that, he didn't want to approach him with anything calculated or practiced.

Ihyeon's lips twitched at the confession. He seemed to be holding back a smile, worried that Liu might be upset if he let it show. From behind, Ihyeon wrapped his arms around Liu's waist and pulled him into a hug. The situation had reversed from just moments ago.

"That doesn't make Awi seem any less."

"You don't think I'm just a guy who only thinks about sex?"

"Awi told me something honest, so should I tell you something honest too?"

"..."

"If you looked like you didn't want to be with me at all... I think I'd hate that even more."

"Ah..."

A soft sound of wonder escaped Liu's lips. The words from his lover—ten years younger and still shy about all of this—were nearly shocking.

"It's not that it's the only thing on your mind. You're doing it because of me. That's why Awi is perfect."

Liu tried to turn around, but Ihyeon held him even tighter. The next moment, Ihyeon's forehead came to rest heavily on Liu's shoulder.

"Don't look at me right now."

"I want to. Can't I?"

"If you see me right now, I'll never tell you anything honest again."

That couldn't happen. Those words could not be spoken. Liu quietly closed his mouth.

He stood there for a moment, with Ihyeon holding him from behind. The scent of chrysanthemums drifted from the vase on the counter, and beyond the window, the maple tree in the courtyard was visible.

"The maples at Awi's house in Seoul must be changing color too."

"They are. They'll be blazing red and yellow when we get back."

The last day of the trip. This moment felt like the last square of chocolate.

Liu stroked Ihyeon's arms wrapped around his waist. They looked out at the same view.

He felt a fierce urge to ask Ihyeon to marry him right then—to make this moment last forever. But Liu only offered an ambiguous smile in a place where Ihyeon couldn't see it.

· · · · ·

"Wow... it looks quite nice, doesn't it?"

"It looks even better in the photo."

"Let me see."

Ihyeon showed Liu the screen of his phone. The dinner table in the picture—lit by a few candles in place of electric lights and decorated with the gifted chrysanthemums—looked genuinely romantic.

"Whoever took this picture did a great job."

"It looks just like a restaurant."

Ihyeon looked at the screen with a satisfied expression, and Liu, standing right beside him, looked at Ihyeon's profile. Sensing his gaze, Ihyeon looked up at Liu. Their eyes met at such close range that Liu almost reflexively wanted to kiss him—but he decided that was affection even by his own generous standards. He settled for a brief smile and ruffled Ihyeon's hair instead.

"Don't you think both our cooking skills have improved quite a bit on this trip?"

"If making gnocchi and steak counts as cooking, people who actually know how to cook would laugh."

"Which people?"

"People like Ben or Jun."

"Ah... Jun. The Jun who had an unrequited crush on Seo Ihyeon and made beef bourguignon for him."

The conversation didn't stop even as they sat down facing each other across the table.

"Stop pretending to be jealous when you're not."

"Not really jealous?"

"You're just teasing me. Everything between you and Jun is fine now..."

"......"

"Oh... it's not?"

Seeing Liu's blank expression, Ihyeon slowed to a stop, quietly revising the end of his sentence. Even as he poured wine into Liu's glass first, Liu's lips remained set in a firm line.

"That was a long time ago. Awi and Jun get along fine now."

"Me? With that guy? Get along fine?"

Liu opened his eyes wide and pointed at his own chest.

"I just thought... whenever you meet up with The Hands members, you two talk quite well together..."

"I'm much older, so it would look bad if I kept ignoring him. I'm just being sociable for the sake of your reputation."

Liu filled his own glass and set the bottle down at the edge of the table. He added with certainty,

"He still likes you. I can't exactly be friendly toward him."

"That he still likes me is a bit of a stretch..."

"Even though he's still hostile toward me, but calms right down the moment you say a word?"

"That's just because he looks up to you like a hyung..."

"......"

This time, Ihyeon's words trailed off and stopped abruptly. Liu had been uncertain whether Ihyeon was joking or being serious, but watching his expression harden, he felt he knew the answer.

Ihyeon raised his own glass and smiled brightly.

"Shall we make a toast?"

Liu couldn't help but smile back at the clear, simple smile that reminded him of an ink-wash painting.

When had he gotten so good at changing the subject to slip away like this?

Ihyeon's skill at managing Liu was improving day by day. Even though Liu could see exactly what Ihyeon was doing, he was simply happy to be played by him.

When Liu's smile continued even after they clinked glasses, Ihyeon glanced over with a flicker of unease.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"That smile of yours... What is it?"

"I was just thinking that Seo Ihyeon has truly become an adult."

"I was an adult when I first met Awi too."

Ihyeon set down his wine glass, looking somewhat sullen. He had the air of a boy just turned twenty, sulking because he wasn't being treated like a grown-up.

Seo Ihyeon sulking and grumbling. It was a sight that would have been unimaginable when they first met, when he was around twenty-one.

"No, that's not it. Back then, Seo Ihyeon was more of a grown-up than an adult."

"You mean I was immature?"

"Of course not. Could there ever have been an immature phase for Seo Ihyeon? I bet you were composed even when you were five or six."

"Then what?"

Liu gazed thoughtfully at Ihyeon's face, bright with curiosity. Then, picking up his glass again, he brought it to his lips, cast his eyes down as if it were nothing, and said,

"I was just thinking you've finally learned how to handle me."

"......"

"At first, you seemed like a boy who knew nothing about dating or love. Now you can lift me up and put me down whenever you like."

"That's because Awi had more experience than me—knew all about dating and love."

Ihyeon grumbling was also a rare sight. Liu leaned his upper body far over the table, eyes gleaming.

"Are you jealous? Jealous of my past?"

"......"

Instead of answering, Ihyeon stared back in silence with a look that said he found Liu annoying. Liu decided not to tease him any further. With a soft laugh, he reached out and took Ihyeon's hand, which was resting loosely on the table.

"What do I know?"

"......"

"Don't you know how I lived before I met you?"

They had shared countless conversations over time. For a long-distance couple separated by 9000 kilometers, their main form of dating was phone calls—voice or video. So naturally, they talked a great deal.

Liu had thought it wasn't polite to bring up his past with Ihyeon, so he had never raised the topic himself. But if Ihyeon was curious, he was prepared to reveal everything honestly. And for his part, Liu had also wanted, just once, to be on the receiving end of Ihyeon's jealousy.

However, Ihyeon was more mature and less prone to emotional waste than anyone Liu knew. He didn't seem like the type to dwell on a past already gone. Liu had almost given up on ever making him jealous.

"When was the last relationship you were in before you met me?"

So when Ihyeon asked him that question, Liu sat bolt upright—jolted wide awake from the drowsiness that had been settling over him as he listened to Ihyeon's voice.

"You don't have to answer if it's uncomfortable..."

Ihyeon had added, his tone hesitant.

Knowing that Ihyeon was conscious of his past partners and felt something like jealousy over them—it was incredibly endearing. Liu wanted to fly to Paris right then, wrap his arms around him, and bury his lips in that soft cheek.

The fact that Ihyeon could be jealous over him was both thrilling and sharp. If consideration, hugs, and kisses were the sweetness of love, then jealousy was its sourness. Through Ihyeon, Liu had tasted both.

Though it wasn't something to boast about at his age, Liu had never been in what he would call a real relationship. There had been people he'd seen a few times, out of interest or curiosity—but each time, the connection had failed to develop into anything serious and just fizzled out. Liu had confessed this to Ihyeon frankly and calmly.

"To develop a proper relationship, there always comes a point where you have to compromise with each other—and I always got stuck right there. I didn't want to keep seeing someone by changing who I was."

After a few dates, contact would simply trail off, or one of them would take the initiative to say there was no need to see each other anymore, and that was the end of it.

Because he couldn't sustain a relationship with one person for long, rumors circulated in Hong Kong high society that Liu was a playboy. There were also rumors that he was picky and had impossibly high standards. Liu didn't care.

"I just accepted that I wasn't suited for dating, and I thought it would always be that way."

"And then I showed up?"

Ihyeon was cool like that, and Liu agreed, smiling but serious.

"That's right. My unique Diamond Dust—the kind that neither control nor suppressants could affect—made an appearance."

But to think that Liu Weikun knew everything about love and dating—at this moment, Ihyeon was simply being petulant. Love had been just as foreign to Liu then as it was to Ihyeon. He had been a novice who had never sacrificed for anyone, never suffered the agony of longing.

"It was the same for me."

Liu pulled Ihyeon's hand slightly, squeezing his grip to ask for eye contact.

"It was only you. The fact that I fell so hard I ran wild, and the fact that I learned what real love was by watching and waiting—it all came from you."

"I know... I didn't say that because I doubted how much Kun loves me."

Ihyeon mumbled, avoiding Liu's gaze, clearly feeling apologetic. He was worried his words might have sounded like doubt.

"Yeah. I know that Seo Ihyeon knows."

Only then did Ihyeon manage a slight smile. Liu squeezed his hand once more before letting go. Then he scooped salad onto Ihyeon's plate: lettuce and arugula, topped with red tomatoes and orange persimmon. A brightly colored, pretty salad.

Swiss cheese was famous and delicious, but Liu hadn't put any in the salad this time. They had tried throughout the trip to eat the local specialties of each region, and had mostly succeeded—but strong-smelling foods like cheese weren't permitted at the dinner table. The reason, of course, was the intimate time that would naturally follow.

"Thank you. I'll enjoy this."

After Liu served him, Ihyeon offered his thanks before finally picking up his fork.

The two had settled the matter of serving food early in their trip. Ihyeon insisted he could serve himself; Liu argued that he wanted to do it and asked for permission. They stood firmly opposed, and Liu won.

Even while waiting quietly as Liu served the food, Ihyeon's expression always seemed to want to grumble.

I can do it myself...

Watching Ihyeon like that was another source of pleasure for Liu.

All the food was fresh and delicious. Simple dishes always achieve their best flavor when the ingredients are excellent. The red wine, chosen specifically for its lighter texture, paired well not only with the steak but with the salad and basil pesto as well.

"I think you chose a good wine."

"You think so?"

"It goes well with the basil pesto and the steak both."

Liu burst into a cheerful laugh.

"I was thinking the exact same thing. We're a perfect match."

Ihyeon couldn't help but smile watching Liu find meaning in the smallest things.

Outside the window, the world was slowly, almost imperceptibly, darkening. The candle on the table felt all the brighter for it. Gazing at each other's faces in the warm, flickering orange light, their conversation and laughter seemed endless on the autumn evening.

When the steak and gnocchi were nearly gone, Liu rested the arm holding his wine glass loosely on the table.

"Come to think of it, you seemed to be standing in front of that Schiele painting for quite a long time earlier."

"Ah..."

Ihyeon let out an awkward laugh, like a boy whose small secret had just been caught. Then he nodded seriously.

"I still feel drawn to the heavier themes, I think. Though I don't know how that might change later."

Life, death, meaning, relationships, anxiety. And despite all that—hope, love.

Ihyeon immersed himself in more difficult subjects, and opinion in the art world was sharply divided over him.

"There are certainly many aspects of Schiele's private life that I personally can't agree with. But the audacity to choose a potentially uncomfortable theme, or..."

"......"

"And the way he expressed it..."

"......"

Even while speaking, Ihyeon was constantly organizing his thoughts and carefully choosing his words. After worrying over how to finish his sentence, lightly scratching the stem of his wine glass, Ihyeon suddenly pressed his lips together and fell completely silent. Then he just looked at Liu across the table.

"Why?"

"Just because. Kun, you're lovely."

"We were talking about Schiele, and suddenly you switch topics?"

"It must be frustrating, but you always wait so patiently for me to finish my thoughts. Watching you like that... made you look lovely."

"That's because even the silence between your words is part of Seo Ihyeon's language, to me."

As if it were natural—as if it were nothing special—Liu shrugged and tilted the glass he had been twirling in his hand, swallowing the wine. Then he ate a bit more salad.

"This was imported from Italy, wasn't it? I didn't know Italian persimmons could be this good."

"They are. They're delicious."

Ihyeon, who had been carefully observing Liu, set down his glass and leaned a little further forward, as if there was something he absolutely had to say.

"How does Awi always come up with things like that to say?"

"Hmm? What things?"

"Those... sweet things."

"That the Italian persimmons are good?"

Pfft. Caught off guard, Ihyeon burst out laughing. The candlelight flickered brightly for a moment before settling back down.

"No. Things like how even the silence between the words is Seo Ihyeon's language."

"Do I sound like a player?"

"It's different from that. If I thought it was a line, I probably wouldn't have reacted at all."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's not a problem. It's just that... I can't say things like that to Awi."

"You know it's sincere. That's enough."

Liu said it lightly, as if it were nothing, and offered a light smile. But Ihyeon still couldn't feel fully reassured. He worried whether his love was being properly conveyed to Liu, or whether he was simply leaning on his older lover's understanding. Confessing even this anxiety was probably just another form of relying on him—but still...

"Don't worry about things like that. I receive plenty of affection."

As Liu topped off Ihyeon's glass with more wine, a meaningful, slightly suggestive smile played on his lips.

"Seo Ihyeon is far more expressive with affection than you realize."

"I'm not..."

"You are."

Extending his arm, Liu clinked his glass against Ihyeon's, flashing a smiling gaze over the candlelight.

"Especially in bed, your love overflows."

Normally, Ihyeon would have pretended not to hear, his earlobes reddening, or he would have scolded Liu. But perhaps because of the romantic atmosphere, or perhaps because of Liu's face—which looked especially handsome bathed in candlelight—this time he didn't avoid Liu's gaze, though his face flushed slightly. He even managed a small smile, and at that smile, which held ease even in the face of a sexual joke, Liu felt a new kind of thrill from Ihyeon, different from anything before.

The two drank their wine at almost the same moment and set down their glasses at almost the same moment.

"Kun."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much for this trip."

"What do you have to thank me for? We split the expenses in half and divided the planning between us. I didn't really do anything extra, did I?"

"I never would have even dared to attempt this trip on my own."

"......"

Because the promise that could no longer be kept whole must have felt too heavy.

Across the table, Liu's gaze deepened and his expression grew serious.

He should have cracked some easy joke to lighten the mood, or perhaps whispered something sweet until his ears tingled. That's what Liu expected of himself. Instead, he simply reached across the table and found the hand Ihyeon had resting near his wine glass, taking it in his own. As if silently asking Ihyeon to speak—and promising to listen to whatever he said.

Ihyeon squeezed his hand in return, acknowledging him.

"Sending postcards to my father was difficult at first. Even though the promise to go as three couldn't be kept, we could still have gone just the two of us—but then that old feeling started creeping up again, the thought that my father had turned away from me..."

The hand holding Liu's tightened slightly.

"But around the middle of the trip, sending each postcard started to feel more like healing."

"......"

"And today... I wrote this on the postcard."

Liu focused intently on Ihyeon's voice, barely remembering to breathe.

"That I was glad we took this trip. That I had a happy journey with Awi."

Their gazes, fixed only on each other, trembled with intensity for a moment—then quietly settled.

"Thank you so much for letting me be able to say that. These forty days meant more to me than just a trip."

Liu's lips moved as if to speak. But instead of words, a thin exhale escaped.

No—what he wanted to say was perfectly clear.

The urge to propose rose up strongly once again.

He wanted to embrace Ihyeon's present, his future, and even his past. He desperately wanted to earn the right to be his partner.

But this time too, Liu held back. He placed his left hand over his right, which was already holding Ihyeon's, completely enveloping it—offering that gesture in place of his words. Even though it was far from enough to convey the full depth of what he felt.

Ihyeon smiled faintly, speared the last persimmon remaining in his salad with his fork, and offered it to Liu.

"Kun, you eat more. I've had plenty."

Even as he opened his mouth to accept the fruit, Liu did not let go of Ihyeon's hand.

"Is it good?"

He nodded in response—but somehow, he couldn't quite taste it.

All he could think about was wanting this person before him to be his partner.

The long candle had burned down to a stub. Even half-obscured by the maple tree in the courtyard, the light of the autumn moon was clear and bright.

· · · · ·

By the time they finished washing dishes side by side, the world outside had gone completely dark. Of the candles left burning on the dining table, one had gone out—only one remained, sputtering. It looked like it had about three hours left.

Liu walked to the table and blew a puff of air at the remaining flame. After moving the smoking candlestick to the counter, he approached Ihyeon, who was finishing up the last of the dishes. He swept Ihyeon's hair back with his still slightly damp hands.

"Should we take your medicine before showering?"

Ihyeon nodded, his eyelids drooping languidly—as if he were enjoying the cool touch of the hand stroking his hair and rubbing his earlobe. Watching him like this, Liu knew: Ihyeon trusted him completely.

Liu knew that Ihyeon was not the type of person to lean on or depend on anyone. He rarely opened up even to those closest to him—believing that sharing a worry didn't halve it, but simply meant two people were now burdened by it. The way Seo Ihyeon cherished the people around him was to resolve his own problems entirely on his own.

And yet Ihyeon often let his guard down in front of Liu Weikun alone.

Through this trip, Ihyeon was slowly learning—through experience—that sometimes leaning on someone didn't mean burdening them.

Each time that happened, Liu felt an overwhelming surge of affection accompanied by a slight ache in his chest. Ihyeon was so lovely he didn't know what to do, wanting only to give him everything. He would often be overcome by a passion that made him feel capable of anything, if only it proved his love.

To quiet that intensity, Liu let out a long breath. He cupped both of Ihyeon's cheeks, rubbed their noses together, and gently kissed his brow, the bridge of his nose, the space above his upper lip, and then his lips.

"Kun...."

Kissing each other like that, Ihyeon suddenly grabbed Liu's wrist. Only then did Liu realize his pheromones were leaking out.

"Ah, sorry."

"No. We're alone, so there's no need to apologize...."

He could guess what the worry in Ihyeon's eyes was about.

"It's absolutely not an issue with my control itself. We've spent so much time together on this trip with my defenses completely down in front of you—that's why I let my guard slip without realizing it when we're alone like this."

"That's a relief, then."

That's what he said to Ihyeon, but Liu was quite startled himself. It was no longer surprising to emit pheromones when he felt sexual desire for Ihyeon. But the kisses and affection just now had been expressions of love, not sexual caresses. This was the first time he had unconsciously released pheromones while caught up in feelings of love. It was evidence that he was being more strongly affected by the Diamond Dust.

Having spent over a month close to Ihyeon, they had been exchanging pheromones every day—intense pheromone-driven sex at least four days a week. That must be why. Liu instinctively felt that his pheromones were beginning to bond with Ihyeon.

He wanted to tell Ihyeon that he felt their pheromones were starting to form a bond—but Liu smiled while hiding that excitement. He didn't want to burden Ihyeon with it yet.

He poured a cup of lukewarm bottled water from the counter, then took out two pale pink pills from a plastic bottle nearby.

"Here. Your dose for today."

For as long as they were staying together, Liu wanted to make sure he administered the medication himself.

Ihyeon was an immature Omega who had not yet fully manifested—still in the process of developing. He received monthly checkups from a renowned Omega specialist in Paris, and every three months, Marcus from Boston would visit Paris to see Ihyeon separately.

Ihyeon maintained that checkups from his regular doctor were enough, but Liu remained anxious. Since the Paris doctor only knew Ihyeon as an Omega undergoing natural development, Liu wanted him to also be seen by Marcus, who knew about the Diamond Dust. Even if Marcus didn't know much about "Didi" either, having him involved eased Liu's anxiety a little.

Both the Paris doctor and Marcus agreed that Ihyeon did not yet need to take heat suppressants. But because Ihyeon was not a typical Omega, Liu could not be fully reassured.

In the end, Ihyeon was taking the suppressants recommended by both specialists.

There were mainly two types of suppressants taken by regular Omegas who weren't Goldens: the relatively harsh Sharp, taken only during heat cycles, and Balance, taken daily like a nutritional supplement. Ihyeon was currently taking the latter. The downside of Balance was that it had to be taken every day, but it was much gentler than Sharp and had almost no side effects.

However, just as the suppressants Liu had once swallowed by the handful had proved useless against Ihyeon's pheromones, Liu could still sense Ihyeon's pheromones even while on suppressants. This was because it was the Diamond Dust pheromone—something that acted only on Ghosts and was unrelated to an Omega's pheromones. A pheromone that could only stimulate Liu Weikun, the Ghost, and that only Liu Weikun could savor.

Since the Diamond Dust pheromone could only be detected by Liu Weikun anyway, that was fine. The purpose of the suppressants was to protect Ihyeon's Omega pheromones from the pheromones of other Alphas. Liu wanted to prepare for every possibility, however remote.

Liu watched Ihyeon swallow the medicine and took the water glass from him. Looking up at Liu's furrowed brow, Ihyeon smiled as if he couldn't help it.

"Kun, I'm not taking medicine because I'm sick."

"I know."

"Then why does your expression change every time I take my suppressant?"

"Well, that's because..."

Because I feel sorry for you. If you hadn't met me, you could have lived an ordinary life as a Beta without the hassle of taking medicine like this. But he couldn't say that to Ihyeon. That would have been disrespectful to Ihyeon's decision to choose a future with him. And besides, he didn't even want to entertain the thought of "if you hadn't met me."

Ihyeon came closer and rested his chin on Liu's shoulder as Liu set the glass in the sink.

"You're still apologizing for that... aren't you?"

"Me? No."

"I am Diamond Dust. As long as I love Awi, I have no choice but to be an Omega."

"Yes, I know."

A Beta who has no choice but to be an Omega as long as he loves me.

That was precisely what he felt sorry for—but he couldn't apologize for making Ihyeon fall in love with him.

"And it's not Awi's fault that I'm Diamond Dust."

Liu turned to face his lover. A person who was shy and introverted but held precious convictions of his own—and who would never yield on those convictions. Ihyeon looked up at Liu with quiet, firm eyes, dark and steady.

"Awi's mistake was breaking the order. Don't feel sorry about anything else."

Liu wrapped his arm around Ihyeon's back and pressed his lips to his forehead, whispering like a vow.

"I won't. My angel."

· · · · ·

While shampooing each other's hair and rubbing shower gel foam over each other's bodies, they tangled playfully like boys. Admittedly, the playfulness carried a certain sensual edge.

They giggled as they squeezed foam from the sponge onto each other's chests and nipples, and Ihyeon even used Liu's foam-covered hair to sculpt two little horns on either side of his head.

"Look, it suits you."

Ihyeon pointed at the mirror, delighted. Liu glanced at the long vertical mirror on one tiled wall of the shower stall and wiped the fogged surface with his large palm. He turned his face this way and that, examining himself in the fan-shaped cleared area.

"Ha, you had to pull this trick on my face?"

Ihyeon came up behind him and rested his chin on Liu's shoulder in the mirror, fiddling happily with the foam horns. He looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

"You're cute. Like a little devil."

"If I'm a devil... an incubus?"

Keeping his eyes locked on Ihyeon's reflection, Liu reached back and grabbed Ihyeon's hips.

"Ugh."

"You know incubi can have children with humans, right?"

"I'm still developing, so no."

Liu quickly wrapped his arms around Ihyeon's waist and turned him halfway around. In an instant, Ihyeon was facing Liu, held in his arms. From beneath lowered eyelids, grayish-blue eyes looked up at Ihyeon with an even deeper gaze.

"You never know. You're special."

"......"

"My Diamond Dust."

He whispered from so close he seemed about to cover Ihyeon's lips.

The water pouring from above made Liu's hair fall across his forehead. A droplet traced a long path down from his brow bone—above his deep-set eyes—and the water running down his prominent nose moistened his parted lips.

Ihyeon, standing opposite him, looked much the same. Liu slipped his fingers through Ihyeon's hair stuck to his forehead and swept it back. White shampoo foam running down from his thick black hair slid over Ihyeon's shoulders, down his back and chest.

Ihyeon wrapped his hand around Liu's wrist and stroked it, and the water dripping from Liu's lips and chin trickled down onto Ihyeon's mouth.

"Haa, huu..."

Liu's hand reached Ihyeon's cock. His wet hand, gripping the length of it, stroked upward from the base all the way to the head.

"Ah... haa, ha... ugh."

Ihyeon's hands, bracing against Liu's chest, scraped and gripped the skin as if digging into muscle. The tongue Liu used to lick his own lower lip looked unusually red.

He handled Ihyeon's slender flesh with practiced ease—knowing exactly where to grip harder and where to ease the pressure so the cock in his hand would swell. With every movement of his long fingers, Ihyeon's breathing grew more ragged.

"Huu, huu... ha! Haa..."

Liu lowered his head and brought his lips close to Ihyeon's ear.

"Make it hard with your hands."

Ihyeon, who had been scratching Liu's broad, firm chest, swallowed dryly. Then, hesitating, he let his hand trail further down. Tracing the defined lines of Liu's abs, Ihyeon reached lower. He felt the heavy, flaccid cock hanging there. Beneath it, he gently closed his hand around the firm, full weight of Liu's balls.

"Mmm..."

A low, appreciative sound escaped Liu's lips against Ihyeon's collarbone. Stimulated by that reaction, Ihyeon's hand pressed and kneaded with greater intensity. In proportion to the thickness and length of his cock, Liu's balls were generously sized—roughly the span of Ihyeon's palm, but not loose: neatly held, well-shaped.

Whenever those full, taut ovals and the thick cock resting above them came into view, Ihyeon always felt heat rising from the core of his body. As if Liu were calling out to him. As if his body responded before his mind could form the thought.

When he gently pulled down and released, they swung with a satisfying heaviness—different from the movement of the long cock. When Liu thrust himself deep and rolled his hips, those balls would bump against the rim of his entrance. Just recalling that weight and rhythm made Ihyeon instinctively curl his toes and fingertips.

"Ah—" It seemed he'd misjudged the pressure, because Liu suddenly caught Ihyeon's wrist. When Ihyeon looked up in surprise, Liu's handsome, wet face was frowning through a smile.

"Were you trying to pull them off?"

"I'm sorry. I was distracted... Did that hurt?"

"Distracted, were you, while touching between my legs?"

"That's not it..."

"Distracted..."

Liu buried his nose deep in the nape of Ihyeon's neck and inhaled slowly.

"While your pheromones are pouring all over me like this?"

"......"

"Sounds like you were having filthy thoughts instead."

The hand gripping Ihyeon's cock began to move with more ruthlessness.

"Ugh! Hng..."

Ihyeon unconsciously looped his arms under Liu's armpits and clung to his shoulders. A dense fog rolled into his mind once again.

Harsh breaths burst from their lips, parted as if they were about to devour each other. Liu's sharply pointed tongue pierced Ihyeon's upper lip, then licked upward from beneath his lower lip. Then it pressed forward—long and penetrating—between Ihyeon's teeth and over his tongue. Their lips, which had been slightly out of alignment, finally met as one.

"Mmm... yes..."

Pheromones were secreted most actively in areas where body heat was strongest—the armpits, groin, nape—as well as in slick inner surfaces like the inside of the mouth and the entrance of the body. They also saturated bodily fluids: saliva, pre-cum, semen, and Ihyeon's arousal fluid. So this deep kiss was like plunging a straw into a cup brimming with pheromones and drinking it down.

"Mmm, mm. Hic, yes. Ah..."

They eagerly angled their jaws, tasting each other's pheromones. Liu licked quickly, bit softly, sucked. Ihyeon, whose reason was beginning to dissolve under the pheromones, was no longer passive. Liu caught the tip of Ihyeon's tongue between his teeth and tugged. Ihyeon didn't resist even as saliva dripped from the tongue stretched out between his lips.

"Huu... huu, ugh, yes..."

Instead, he pushed his tongue deeper into Liu's mouth, urging him to suck harder.

Liu's gaze, fixed on Ihyeon below him, grew hazy. His hands slid from Ihyeon's sides down to his hips, then lower—palming the firm, yielding flesh of his ass. His fingers pressed in, sinking deep as he gripped him. A sharp surge of arousal rose up. As their tongues tangled, Liu held him there and gave a slow, deliberate squeeze, rocking him lightly in his hands.

"Nngh... mm..."

Ihyeon's breath hitched and his scent bloomed thickly. Liu shoved him roughly against the tile wall.

"Ugh!"

Ihyeon's bare back hit the wall hard. Before he could spring away, Liu pressed his entire body against him, pinning him there.

"Mm. Ngh. Rgh... mm."

Because his mouth was sealed by another kiss, Ihyeon couldn't exhale the breath pressing out of him. He wrapped his arms around Liu's neck, who stood braced before his chest. Rock-hard thighs pushed urgently between Ihyeon's legs.

"Ngh, ngh... ah... mm."

Each press and release of those thighs made Ihyeon's body jolt. The breath escaping his lips—being sucked on—trembled. Ihyeon's heels lifted, and eventually he was barely touching the floor.

It was meaningless to calculate whose pheromones had hit first. The moment the edges of both—spreading slowly outward like ripples—touched, they only fed each other, becoming larger waves trembling ever more violently.

Between their pressed-together lower bodies, they rubbed and ground against each other. The sensation created by pre-cum slicking over skin not yet fully rinsed was indescribably erotic. Every strand of coarse hair stood on end.

Ihyeon rubbed his dripping entrance against Liu's thigh and pressed his hard cock against those abs. Liu's thigh, slick with arousal fluid heavy with pheromones, was gleaming all over.

"Haa, ha! F-feels so... good, Kun..."

Arms wrapped around Liu's neck, Ihyeon thrust his hips freely, as much as he wanted. His body didn't feel like his own.

"Feels good, Ihyeon-ah?"

"G-good... good..."

"Seems like it."

Liu gripped both of Ihyeon's ass cheeks tightly and pulled them hard, pressing his own lower body forward at the same time.

"Haa! Ah—hic!"

Ihyeon jerked his chin up and squeezed his eyes shut. A sharp thrill raced toward the head of his cock, and strength gathered in his lower body. Thin saliva dripped from his parted lips. The signal to come was crashing over him. Ihyeon's calves, dangling in the air, kicked weakly. As if fleeing from something terrifying, he clung desperately to Liu's neck.

"Gah! I-I'm gonna... I'm gonna come, Kun. I think I'm gonna come..."

"Show me when you come. Hmm?"

Liu's kisses and murmurs landed on Ihyeon's heaving cheeks and lips—tender and sweet—but his eyes, watching his lover rush toward the edge, flickered with raw, savage desire. As he moved his hips and flexed to press against Ihyeon's cock, he whispered softly, as if coaxing a child.

"Better to come here once or twice. Good?"

Ihyeon knew why. Otherwise he'd flood the sheets. So much that two or three towels couldn't handle it.

"Ah, hng! Ugh, Ku, Kun..."

"Yeah, Ihyeon-ah."

Calling Liu's name at the moment of climax always felt more electrifying. Even when he was alone in Paris, Ihyeon always called his name at the very end while touching himself. Even when building up slowly, he always imagined Liu's hands on him and called that name. It was unconscious.

"Haa, ha... Ku, Kun. Kuu—ugh... mm."

With his lips sealed by Liu's kiss, Ihyeon came. White fluid splattered across both their stomachs and chests. Ihyeon trembled uncontrollably, unable to hold himself up, and Liu wrapped an arm around his waist to support him. Though it was Ihyeon who had come, Liu was panting heavily too—from arousal.

Liu arched his upper body back and looked down. Then, as if savoring it, he stroked his own stomach and chest, spreading Ihyeon's release across his skin.

After that, he grabbed Ihyeon's wrists—which had been wrapped around his neck—and drew them down. Meeting his eyes, he kissed the inside of Ihyeon's wrist, then bit down on the skin as if he might tear a piece of flesh away.

"Hah—ugh."

Ihyeon flinched and shuddered, shoulders hunching. More thrilling than painful.

Liu slowly drew the startled, docile Ihyeon closer by his right shoulder—like someone observing a cornered animal. Then he turned Ihyeon around so his chest and cheek were pressed against the mirror.

Ihyeon's legs, still reeling from the aftershock of coming, swayed precariously. Pinned against the mirror—cheek pressed flat like a suspect moments before arrest—he gasped, afraid of what was coming next.

Liu's hand, pressed flat against his back, swept around to the front. It scratched through damp hair, soothed his still-not-fully-softened cock, and then the large palm dug deeper.

"Ugh, uh... ah."

The moment Liu cupped his entire palm over Ihyeon's slick entrance, Liu's arms and shoulders went rigid. Between Ihyeon's legs—the place he was touching directly—was completely soaked. No, it was getting wetter at that very moment. It felt as if that place itself were dissolving.

A stickiness with a viscosity heavier than water. Arousal fluid—not just an Omega's, but Diamond Dust's—thick with a fragrance that made his head swim. Inhaling it deep into his lungs, Liu twisted his wrist and caressed the soft inner flesh.

"Hah… hh—mm… ah."

As Liu rubbed lower, Ihyeon's sounds grew sweeter—slightly different from when Liu stroked his cock. Hearing that plaintive, desperate voice, Liu released his pheromones more intensely. At the same time, he slipped his other arm under Ihyeon's armpit, pulling him away from the mirror into his chest, and used his thumb to circle a nipple.

"Hah! Ah... ah."

Ihyeon, gripping Liu's arm across his chest, moaned now in a thin, almost sobbing sound.

Held from behind with Liu's hand between his legs, Ihyeon arched and twisted in pleasure in the moisture-beaded mirror. Every time Liu gripped and kneaded him there, his balls and cock twitched against that wrist. While stroking the nipple with his thumb, Liu kissed behind Ihyeon's earlobe.

"You look good."

Then Liu pulled his palm away from between Ihyeon's legs and tilted it toward the mirror. A milky, translucent fluid pooled thickly on his palm—sticky strands stretching long between Ihyeon's groin and Liu's hand. Without a moment's hesitation, Liu raised his hand and licked the clinging mass of pheromones from his palm with his tongue.

"You're... you're insane!"

Ihyeon, who had been slumped with his head resting back against Liu's shoulder, lurched forward and grabbed Liu's wrist. But Liu's throat had already moved deeply.

The pheromones hit his consciousness hard. Liu shook his head several times. Water droplets clinging to his hair scattered everywhere.

"I bury my face between your legs and suck you off every day. What's wrong with this little bit?"

"Th-that's different."

"This isn't the first time I've done this to you, is it?"

To demonstrate, Liu licked the arousal fluid from his palm once more—that clump of pheromones. When Ihyeon, face flushed scarlet, lunged for him again, Liu pulled his arm back this time. Grinning mischievously, he hugged Ihyeon's struggling waist and planted kisses all over his cheeks—smack, smack, smack.

Having swallowed Didi's pheromones directly, they poured out of Liu now in force. Swept away as if by a massive wave, Ihyeon couldn't get his senses back for a long moment.

"Ah... haah… ha..."

Taking advantage of the opening, Liu pushed Ihyeon against the mirror again. He pressed his groin tightly against Ihyeon's rear. Ihyeon's ass compressed beautifully—flesh bulging upward—and Liu's cock, head peeking out from between those cheeks, twitched. The sight of his own pre-cum overflowing and trailing down Ihyeon's backside made Liu's breathing rough.

Hoooh... He ran his hand down Ihyeon's spine, grasping the slender waist on either side. Moving his hips slowly upward, his cock head repeatedly buried itself between Ihyeon's cheeks and emerged again. The obscenity of the sight forced him to bite down hard enough to hurt his own lip.

Thud. Ihyeon twisted his hips, slamming his forehead against the mirror. That friction—so reminiscent of being inside him—made Ihyeon's legs buckle.

"Ugh, yes... ngh, ngh..."

"Ihyeon-ah."

Liu, close against Ihyeon's profile, whispered the question. His brain was saturated with pheromones, refusing rational thought. He started working Ihyeon's lower body again with his large palm.

"Should we draw more out here before we go to the bedroom?"

Ihyeon's situation wasn't much different from Liu's. Saliva dripped in a long string from Ihyeon's lips, pressed crown-first against the mirror as he looked down at the floor.

"Hah—ah... hah… huu..."

Gasping for uneven breaths, Ihyeon managed to turn his head to look at Liu.

"You've been producing too much lately."

The hand gripping and caressing him below was deliberate. Ihyeon knew Liu wasn't talking about cum. Liu was suggesting they coax more arousal fluid out before moving to the bedroom. Leaning against the mirror, Ihyeon only panted—trying to collect himself—unable to answer either way.

But the thick, spreading pheromone answered for him.

Liu, pressed close against Ihyeon's back, let his hand trail down Ihyeon's trembling thigh. Then he lifted behind the knee.

"Uh."

The next moment, Ihyeon's calves were hanging in the air.

Ihyeon was an adult man, but Liu didn't struggle either. Like curling a barbell, he flexed and lifted Ihyeon into the air without a sound.

It was a position where Liu held him up by the backs of his knees, facing forward—knees bent, thighs spread wide open, everything exposed. No way to frame it that didn't look like a man being held for something.

Ihyeon groped blindly for Liu's arms and held on.

"I feel like I'm going to fall."

He was pretending to be nervous. It was really an attempt to hide his shame.

"I'll never drop you. You know how many times we've done this position."

Liu whispered in a rough, scraped voice, kissing again and again at the sticky nape of Ihyeon's neck right in front of him.

True—they had done this position with penetration several times. But never like this, without any penetration, in front of a mirror.

Ihyeon tried to close his thighs. Useless. Liu deliberately spread them wider, showing everything off. His cock, hard again from the foreplay, was completely exposed in the mirror—nothing hidden.

Liu's rigidly erect cock pressed tightly against his ass—long enough to bridge past his entrance, nudge his balls, and brush against Ihyeon's own cock. It felt like that pillar might change direction at any moment and push deep inside. Unconsciously, Ihyeon swallowed dryly.

"Your pheromones are getting thicker. You like this."

Once pheromones were being exchanged, lying about sex was pointless. Liu, kissing Ihyeon's neck, let out a soft breath—a quiet warning to be still.

"Shhh... shhhh..."

"Why, why are you making that sound? I'm not peeing."

"It's similar. Try making a sound like you're trying to go. Shhh..."

"Stop it. That sound isn't going to make it come out..."

Drip. Before he could finish, a long, translucent, sticky fluid stretched toward the floor. It flowed around Liu's cock—blocking his entrance—before falling heavily.

Ihyeon shook his head, kicking his suspended legs. Still, he couldn't tear his eyes from the mirror. After releasing a few thick drops, thinner fluid began to leak. Drip, drip. Then a trickle. Then a stream.

He knew the amount of fluid could thoroughly soak two or three large towels. He had felt it with his own hands; he had seen Liu's face go slick with it. But this was the first time he had seen it pour directly from his own body like this.

So this is what an Omega is.

To receive an Alpha's hard cock without any lubricant—pouring out enough arousal fluid to overflow...

The reality that his body had changed—was changing—was right there in the mirror.

From behind, Liu pressed his lips close to Ihyeon's earlobe. He whispered softly, as if sharing a secret.

"What happened?"

"Ah, ngh... hah..."

"You said it wouldn't come out just by trying."

"Hah, ah. Ugh."

"Are you leaking from down there now instead?"

Just hearing that made new arousal flood out. Ihyeon shuddered at the sensation and kicked his legs wildly. It was such a large amount that he thought his insides might all come out. At first thick and heavy, hanging in long strands, after releasing a few large drops it thinned out and began to stream.

"Do other Omegas... become like this too? Right, Kun?"

Liu nudged the pooled fluid—enough to form a small puddle—with his toe.

"Our Ihyeon just happens to be on the wetter side."

Then he tapped at the puddle with his foot, making a wet sound. The noise of sticky fluid clinging and pulling away from his skin reminded Ihyeon of sex. Slick, slick, slick, slick.

"I've changed my mind."

In the mirror, Liu—eyes hazy and dark—licked Ihyeon's earlobe with the tip of his tongue.

"Let me suck you clean."

In that instant, Ihyeon's entrance contracted and released, and a thick rush of fluid poured out once more. Ihyeon turned his head toward Liu, who stood behind him.

After a messy kiss—tongues rubbing and twisting outside their lips—Ihyeon gasped for breath. He kissed the bridge of Liu's high nose while pressing his own hand between his legs.

"Do it. Have Awi suck me here."

Liu lost his composure entirely.

· · · · ·

Moonlight filtered in through the large window facing the courtyard, illuminating the kitchen and living room well enough—but that light could not reach past the partition wall into the bedroom.

A dim glow fell vaguely over the bare skin of the two tangled together in the dark.

Liu lay on his back with his knees raised, and Ihyeon was draped over him—lower body directly in front of Liu's face, fully exposed. Not merely exposed: bent forward as he was, the spread of his ass revealed his entrance between the cheeks, along with his balls and cock, in fine detail.

With their faces buried between each other's legs, the two men freely explored, licked, sucked, and touched every intimate part of the other with their lips, tongues, and hands. It was as if each had forgotten that the other possessed the same basic structure—as if, in terms of their secondary biology, they were opposite sexes. To Liu, Ihyeon's entrance was something thoroughly mysterious. To Ihyeon, Liu's cock was the same.

Ihyeon struggled to swallow the head—which filled his mouth—even a little deeper. But it wasn't just the thickness; the constant flow of pre-cum made it difficult. His mouth was slick all over. Some of it slid down Ihyeon's throat without permission.

Having continuously swallowed pheromone-laced fluid, Ihyeon was growing bolder. He felt no shame even though Liu's face was buried between his ass cheeks, doing whatever he wanted to every private part of him.

"Mm… mm… mm… ngh."

A muffled sound escaped Ihyeon's mouth, blocked as it was by Liu's cock. It sounded almost like a cry for help. The stimulation happening between his legs was too much.

Liu was practically kissing Ihyeon's entrance. He darted his pointed tongue in and out, curling the tip to gently scrape inside. He also rubbed the opening aggressively with his lips—full and heavy—pressing into the surrounding flesh.

"Ah—mm… oh… mmh."

He couldn't bear the sensation of Liu's tongue spreading flat and wide, aggressively working his entrance and the soft flesh surrounding it.

Ihyeon gave up on taking more of the head. Instead he stimulated it by pulling it in and out of his mouth. The fluid running down the shaft against Ihyeon's lips made an embarrassing sound, but it wasn't so different from the sounds coming from between his legs.

"Mmh… ah… mmph."

The ridge of the head scraping the inside of his cheek as it pulled back kept dragging his thoughts to sex. The moment he thought of how it felt when this same cock moved in and out of him, scraping against his sensitive inner walls, Ihyeon's entrance twitched and tightened.

"Hah… hngh."

Liu didn't miss that moment. He pushed his ring finger deep inside the entrance. Not the index or middle finger—the ring finger. The one wearing the same ring as Ihyeon.

Ihyeon's entrance, swallowing the finger whole with only the simple matte band left outside, clenched and sucked at it. Clear, sticky fluid—forced out past the ridge—wet the ring and ran down Liu's hand and wrist.

Hah… hah…

A fierce gleam flashed in Liu's bloodshot eyes. His pheromones—with this stunning view right before him—grew stronger and more potent.

"Nngh… mm… ah—ah… hngh..."

Every time Ihyeon groaned, the slick, wet walls pulsed and gripped the finger. Liu's cock twitched at the sucking pull drawing him inward. He desperately wanted to drive his cock—swollen so tight it felt like it might burst—deep inside right now. Wanted to move his hips freely, wildly. But the fact that he still held back could only be explained as a miracle born of something close to love.

A deep breath.

One more finger pressed in—then soon two more—until three were filling him.

"Ah… nngh… huu… ah."

Ihyeon spat the head from between his lips. Liu's cock, released, swung wildly. The column of flesh, kicked up by the momentum, struck Ihyeon's nose and eyelids before finally standing straight on its own. Pre-cum mixed with saliva stretched thick between his lips and the head.

"Nngh… ah… mm..."

As fingers filled the entrance—which had been opened thoroughly in the shower—Ihyeon clenched his ass in pure satisfaction. Instinct. Forgetting to pleasure Liu's cock, he twisted his hips and shook them while pressed against Liu's groin.

"Ugh, yes… ahh… ah—"

He whimpered as if pleading, rubbing his cheek against Liu's hair. The base of that cock brushed against the bridge of his nose. Smelling it, seeing its shape—his body surged again. He wanted to suck it, wanted to touch it, wanted to taste it with his tongue. He kept attacking the shaft, licking it, only to collapse again from the pleasure of being worked from behind.

"Hah! Ah! Uh!"

With a broken cry, Ihyeon slumped forward onto Liu's groin again. Using his wrists, forearms, even his biceps and triceps past the elbows, Liu was pressing into Ihyeon's depths with the full strength of his arm.

"Ngh! Yes! Yes! Ah! Ah!"

Every time Liu's arm tensed, Ihyeon's body jolted—as if being shoved from behind. The force was so intense that Ihyeon lowered his head to look, just to confirm that Liu's forearm really was pressing in that far. That was how much strength he was using.

Even so, Ihyeon didn't try to close his legs or stop Liu. Instead, he raised his hips higher, rubbed his cheek against Liu's cock, pressed his lips there. Pheromone effect.

Liu—seeing, hearing, and feeling everything Ihyeon was doing—was also losing his mind.

Every time he thrust his fingers in deep, the pooled fluid splattered everywhere. Droplets scattered across Liu's forehead, eyelids, cheeks, lips, collarbone, chest.

"C-crazy… ah—ah!"

For a moment, Ihyeon's ass trembled. Another large surge burst out, running down Liu's veined arm all the way past his elbow.

Sparks nearly flew from Liu's eyes. Without withdrawing his fingers, he lifted his head and dove into the entrance. Like a beast that had finally found water after wandering through scorching heat, he clung desperately to Ihyeon's ass. He licked greedily around the hole his fingers were violating—pressing his tongue flat as if to crush it—and scraped the surrounding flesh with his teeth, sucking hard. Red marks appeared immediately on the tender skin.

"Nngh… mm. Hah… ah… ngh."

Being worked by fingers at the same time as being devoured by a tongue and mouth was more than he could handle. Ihyeon became afraid that his entire lower body—not just his entrance but his cock, his inner thighs, his stomach—might dissolve entirely.

"Ah… ah. Ahh… uh… ah..."

Ihyeon instinctively began to crawl forward.

"Ah!"

Useless. The long, firm arms—fingers withdrawing from inside him—immediately wrapped around Ihyeon's thighs and dragged him back. He grabbed for the sheets as he collapsed onto the mattress, but was helplessly pulled flat, stretched out face-down.

"Mmgh!"

Liu's sharp nose buried itself in the cleft of Ihyeon's ass, and those lips—exhaling hot breath—sucked repeatedly at the gaping entrance. His smooth tongue crushed through the space between the cheeks.

Ihyeon's fingers reached out blindly and caught a pillow. He hugged it tightly and buried his face in it.

"Sshh—hah… huuu..."

Liu breathed in deeply, face buried in Ihyeon's ass. As if savoring it. Then—purr, purr—he shook his head slowly from side to side. Ecstasy radiated from between those cheeks, trembling on either side of him.

"Haa... I could stay here all day."

"I don't want that..."

Ihyeon's voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Yes you do."

"It's not that..."

"......"

"I want something else. Something different."

"Something else? What kind?"

Knowing full well that Ihyeon now meant he wanted Liu's cock, Liu asked again anyway. A mischievous yet charged smile spread attractively across his lips.

"What do you want, Ihyeon? Tell me—I'll give you anything you want."

Looking up at the back of his lover's head—still refusing to show his face—Liu licked the curve of those raised hips with his tongue.

"I genuinely don't know. Teach me. What does Seo Ihyeon want right now?"

"...Knotting."

"......"

Liu couldn't believe his ears. Slowly, he raised his head from between Ihyeon's prone thighs. He was no longer smiling.

When Liu had visited the East Sea alone at Ihyeon's request, he had explained to Ihyeon's father that his son would likely become an Omega before the year was out.

It was a plan they had made together. To achieve it, they had continued knotting and Changing every time they met.

But the plan had unexpectedly changed afterward.

The two had been planning to move to Bali together when Ihyeon left The Hands. But Ihyeon ended up staying longer than scheduled.

Ihyeon was around 80% expressed at that point. After discussion, the two decided to temporarily halt the Changing process—the remaining 20% to be completed after moving to Bali, so that Ihyeon wouldn't fully express while they were living apart.

So even though Liu touched him every day for forty days and they had penetrative sex four to five times a week, Liu had never once knotted. Not because he didn't want to. He had endured it with every ounce of his strength.

Every time, he held the base of his cock with three fingers while moving inside Ihyeon. Because if he drove deep into Diamond Dust and thrust his hips as freely as he wanted, he would never regain control.

Once he entered that state, knotting and Changing were unavoidable. Since it was impossible to regulate the Changing by knotting in Didi, knotting inside Ihyeon meant both knotting and Changing.

And yet, Ihyeon was asking him to knot.

Liu propped himself up and raised an arm to roughly wipe his face.

It couldn't be. He must have said it in the heat of pheromones. Some kind of dirty talk.

Even lying prone, Liu stroked the dizzying curve of Ihyeon's hips—tracing the slender waist and the clean ridge of his back upward. He massaged the balanced shoulders, then gently pulled. Following Liu's lead, Ihyeon smoothly turned over.

"......"

"......"

Ihyeon, lying on his back now, was clearly intoxicated by pheromones—but he managed to focus his gaze directly on Liu.

Even so, Liu couldn't do what Ihyeon was asking. He picked up a towel—completely soaked with slick, changed in color—found a relatively dry spot, and wiped his face. He offered a smile.

“All that earlier buildup in the bathroom went to waste.”

He changed the subject with a light laugh.

Ihyeon kept his lips pressed firmly together, simply looking up at Liu. His expression was sullen and reproachful, but Liu pretended not to notice. He took another towel—crumpled messily on the sheets—and spread it out neatly beneath Ihyeon's hips.

"Are you going to stay sulky like that?"

Settling between Ihyeon's legs, Liu glanced up at him. Then he leaned forward and stroked his lover's sharp jawline.

"Give me a smile with that handsome face. Hmm?"

"What? The handsome one is... Kun."

"I was never called a pretty boy in middle or high school."

If Liu possessed the kind of classic, textbook handsomeness that radiated masculine appeal, Ihyeon was a modern kind of handsome—fresh, vivid with the energy of his age.

Thick jet-black hair, dark and expressive brows and lashes, long clear eyes, slightly stubborn full lips with a distinct curve, a slender yet firm jaw. Long limbs stretched out with easy grace.

At twenty-five, Ihyeon was a young man overflowing with refreshing vitality. A handsome face, simple clothes made striking by his build, and a shyness that only made him more appealing. He had undeniably grown into a man since they first met.

Liu marveled anew at Ihyeon's naked body—stripped down to nothing. Tracing the dizzying straight line from his trim waist to his narrow hips with his fingertips, Liu pushed the head of his cock into Ihyeon's body.

"Truly... beautiful."

"Ugh... yeah! Haa."

Feeling the heavy, deep thrust of the hard cock, Ihyeon trembled beneath him. Liu leaned his upper body forward, pressing his groin firmly against Ihyeon.

"Hah… ah… Mmm.. hah..."

Ihyeon panted with his eyes wide open. Gripping the sheets against the enormous pressure, he slowly twisted his hips. With each regular pulse—like breath itself—his entrance contracted and opened, drawing more of Liu's cock deeper each time. The sensation was vivid and distinct.

Liu's cock felt thick as a forearm, perhaps? The sensation of his pelvis being forcibly pried open was so real he'd almost thought that. It felt as if Liu filled every space inside him. And yet his senses, completely paralyzed by pheromones, registered no pain even while taking the Alpha's size.

How could I—with no experience, only a Beta—have taken this cock all the way in during my first time with Liu? Why was I, who had been so indifferent to sex, so aggressive from the start in bed with him? How did I endure the Alpha's knotting—something a Beta's body could never withstand—without a single torn wound?

Now I know the reason for all of it.

Because I was Didi.

Because I hadn't been smelling his cologne. I had been drinking his pheromones.

Swoosh—the cock slowly withdrew, and then—smack—drove in all the way.

"Haa! Ugh!"

Ihyeon gasped, jaw dropped. The sensation of arousal fluid pooled inside him being pushed back to the entrance as the cock filled him was vivid.

With himself fully seated, Liu took three or four deep breaths. Then he pulled back slightly and wrapped his fingers around the base. The foreplay had been long—he began to move violently.

"Haa... ugh, it's, it's so d-deep..."

The rapid thrusting of the shaft inside him, combined with the dense concentration of pheromones, left Ihyeon struggling to breathe.

"Here—do you feel it?"

With the hand that had been gripping Ihyeon's hip, Liu used his fingertips to stroke Ihyeon's lower abdomen, just below his navel. Very gently. Ihyeon clawed at the edge of the pillow, trying desperately to meet Liu's eyes. Despite being drenched in sweat, Liu was smiled.

"Nngh… ugh! Ah! Ah, uh..."

"This is where Ihyeon's Triangle Zone is growing."

Ihyeon looked down at the spot Liu was touching, eyes filling. His lower abdomen—slick and gleaming—pulsed faintly.

"Later... much later... the place where our baby would grow."

Liu said it again more simply, then let out an awkward laugh.

"Haha... Of course, only if Ihyeon wants it too."

"W-why do you... say it like that?"

"......"

"Of course I want it too."

In that moment, Liu's cock swelled suddenly inside him. The rhythm of his thrusting slowed. Ihyeon placed his own hand over Liu's hand resting on his stomach.

"I want to see them."

"Our baby?"

Liu managed a strained smile through the sweat on his face.

"Awi's snowball."

"......"

Liu's thrusting stopped completely. The smile on his sweat-dampened face vanished along with it.

Holding Liu's gaze, Ihyeon's right hand moved downward. He began to touch the place where their bodies were joined—where Liu's cock was buried inside him. Every time he pressed and rubbed, Ihyeon's bare shoulders rose and fell slowly. He looked like an aroused Omega pleasuring himself. Liu could not take his eyes off him.

Didi—who carried inside him the Triangle Zone where Liu's child would grow—gave an order.

"Make me fully an Omega here."

"We made a promise. We said we'd pick it up again in Bali."

"Do it now..."

"Do you want to make me that kind of man?"

"What kind?"

"...The kind who gets addicted to your pheromones and forces you into being an Omega."

Ihyeon looked up at Liu in silence for a moment. You don't want to make me that kind of man, do you? Liu was about to close the conversation that way.

"What if I do?"

"...What?"

Liu frowned without realizing it.

"I said I want to make Awi that kind of man."

Ihyeon, saying it, showed not a single trace of hesitation.

Inside Ihyeon, Liu's cock twitched and trembled. As if ready to knot at any moment. He couldn't tell if his heart was beating in his chest or in his cock. What was clear was that Ihyeon's words were igniting something in Liu's instincts.

It was Liu who broke eye contact. He ran his palm over his face and shook his head.

"You're saying things you can't actually handle."

"Kun knows I'm not the kind of person who says things just because I'm swept up in the moment."

"You know this isn't right either."

Liu immediately regretted the slight harshness in his voice. He gripped Ihyeon's hand—resting over his own—and leaned forward to kiss the back of it.

"If you were to fully express or go into pheromone shock while I'm away... I couldn't bear that, Ihyeon."

With his head bowed low, Liu pressed his lips against the back of Ihyeon's hand.

"You said it's still at 80 percent. That it's fine. Marcus said so too."

"There can be exceptions."

"Kun, look at me."

"......"

Liu lifted his head with difficulty, looking pained. Toward him, Ihyeon extended his other arm. With a small sigh, Liu leaned his upper body further forward. Ihyeon wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him close—chest fully against chest. Stubbornly, Liu's left hand still gripped the base of his cock.

Lips pressed to Liu's ear as they held each other, Ihyeon whispered in a fractured voice.

"I'm different now than I was then. I'm ready."

"Ihyeon..."

"So change me."

For some reason, Liu got goosebumps. His heart and the corners of his eyes grew suddenly, acutely warm.

Ihyeon's right hand slid down Liu's side. It slipped between their joined lower bodies and gently took hold of the hand clutching the base of Liu's cock. One by one, Ihyeon began to uncurl each finger.

"......"

Liu no longer stopped him. Without a word, he looped his right arm behind Ihyeon's neck and embraced him around the shoulders.

Finally, all fingers were released. Ihyeon pulled Liu's broad back into his arms.

Deeper. Deeper than ever before. All the way to the end, without any restraint. Liu drove all of himself fully into Ihyeon's body.

"Hah… ah..."

Ihyeon's slow exhale trembled faintly. Pheromones spread from that breath. Liu turned his head and kissed Ihyeon's cheek where he held him in his arms. Then—without any obstruction—he began to move inside Ihyeon.

The position wasn't unusual. They were simply striving to be pressed closer, to be connected more deeply. Their lower bodies, stomachs, chests, and all eight limbs were tightly tangled. So tightly that no one could undo the knot. Within that firm embrace, only Liu's lower body—pressed down on top—moved back and forth in the dim moonlight.

Liu unleashed the instincts of an Alpha and a Ghost to their fullest. He felt as free as a stallion breaking from its reins to gallop across an open plain. He was not being denied. He was not being excluded. In the arms of the sole Diamond Dust, he was finally understood and accepted.

For a moment, the tips of Ihyeon's fingers gripping Liu's back turned white.

"Haa, sob! Ku, Kun... it's—it's coming now, it's coming..."

It felt as if the organs in his belly were swelling to bursting.

No—it wasn't Ihyeon's organs swelling. It was Kun's cock—the Alpha's cock—filling every last space inside Ihyeon so that not a single drop of semen could escape.

Knotting.

Ihyeon's eyes went wide, mouth falling open as he struggled for breath. He clawed wildly at the thick back and shoulders pressing down on him. The legs wrapped around Kun's waist thrashed helplessly.

"This… this… kh—sob… k—ah..."

Thump, thump, thump. Boom, boom, boom.

Like the vibration of a massage gun—like a massive speaker playing a symphony at full volume—Kun's cock, swollen tight inside him, trembled violently. The slick pooled between the cock and his inner walls pushed sensation to its peak. Ihyeon tilted his jaw up, mouth falling slightly open.

"I—I like this... Kun, I like this. I feel like I'm going crazy..."

"You like the knotting, Seo Ihyeon?"

"I like it. I-I... ugh!"

"That good?"

"Aah, unngh! Ngh! Ugh!"

Ihyeon was literally coming apart. He rubbed the back of his head against the pillow, writhed his shoulders, twisted his hips. Every movement directly stimulated Liu's cock deep inside him.

"Ahh… yeah! Ah! Keep… keep going… ah—ah!"

Each time Liu's cock trembled, waves of climax crashed over him in succession. The vibration from the knotting felt as if it were shaking and turning over not just his belly but his heart, his mind, his very soul.

"My… stomach's gonna burst, ah! Hah!"

Liu came. The overwhelming pressure—like being struck inside his deepest, most tender place—felt as though it might leave its mark in the Triangle Zone, still so immature.

The pleasure was several times stronger than when they had sex before the Omega transformation, using only that spot deep inside. Ihyeon cried out like a man burning alive, and at the end of his cries, he sobbed. Liu diligently licked away the tears running down Ihyeon's cheeks.

"Ku—Kun… ah… ahh—"

Shivering in every limb, Ihyeon reached for Liu.

"Hey, Ihyeon-ah. Are you okay? The knotting was a little much—it's been a while, right?"

Hic. Ihyeon swallowed dryly through his sobs. He blinked his wet eyelids several times, struggling to focus.

"Huu… huu… ngh… I don't want us to break up."

"Ihyeon-ah?"

"I wish Kun wouldn't go to Seoul, hngh... ah, I wish you wouldn't go."

Then he wrapped both arms tightly around Liu's neck.

"Don't go. Stay by my side."

Liu couldn't believe it. Ihyeon was always composed in every situation—seemingly wanting nothing, capable of handling anything entirely on his own. While Liu had always found that dependability admirable and felt proud, he had also constantly worried that Ihyeon pushed himself too hard alone.

There were occasional small childish moments—like asking to trade his strawberry ice cream for chocolate because the chocolate looked better. But Liu had never imagined Seo Ihyeon acting like this over something already agreed upon and planned. Whining about not wanting to part, not wanting to go back—that had always been Liu's role.

Even soaked in pheromones, even half out of his mind from the knotting—for Ihyeon to act this way felt more painful and sad than happy. Though deeply touching, and endearing beyond measure.

Liu wrapped both arms fully around Ihyeon, pressing kiss after kiss to his tear-damp face.

"I won't go, Ihyeon. I promised you before—if you told me not to go, I wouldn't. Didn't I?"

How can I love you more? How can I exist closer to you?

If you were to get pregnant—if a child that looked like both of us grew inside you—would that fill this aching, this restlessness even a little? Would I feel more connected to you?

He supported Ihyeon's back and gently helped him sit up—pulling him onto his own thigh, holding him close, rocking him slowly as if soothing a child. Ihyeon, cheek pressed hard against Liu's cheek, sniffled and whispered.

"Don't go."

Until his body shattered. Until his soul vibrated. He wanted to cry it with his whole body, his whole soul: Marry me.

· · · · ·

Leaning on Liu's arm, Ihyeon drained an entire bottle of water and then immediately flopped down. He appeared to have literally no energy left to twitch a single finger—to the point of not caring that his lower body was uncovered. Looking down at those moist eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, Liu gently stroked his cheek with the back of his hand.

"Handsome men have it easy."

"...What do you mean?"

"You're just lying there exhausted after four hours, and yet you look like you're steeped in the melancholy of life and art."

A faint chuckle escaped Ihyeon. Even that seemed to take effort. Liu lay down on his side next to him.

Ihyeon, hands loosely clasped over his chest, asked as if he couldn't believe it.

"Were we really like that for four hours?"

"We were. Because someone kept begging for knotting."

"......"

Knowing he had nothing to say to that, Ihyeon fell silent. Liu propped his head on his palm and gently smoothed back the hair stuck to Ihyeon's forehead.

"I still have legs, right?"

"Why, do you feel like the Little Mermaid?"

"Down there... it feels tattered."

Ihyeon paused as if hesitating, then used a bolder word than usual—as if no other expression came to mind.

"If you say things like that, I might get worked up again."

"No way..."

Ihyeon raised his arms and covered his face with both hands. He wiped his face a couple of times, then glanced down. Sure enough, Liu's cock was still at least half-erect—not fully hard, but not fully subsided either. Protruding from the center of his sideways-lying body, it curved downward toward the mattress, too heavy to stand on its own.

The moment Ihyeon saw its shape, its color, the veins pushing up through the skin—his body responded. Unconsciously, he tightened below. His mouth went dry. His heart began to race. This endless wanting was incomprehensible even to himself. It's not like I can only blame Kun... I'm just as bad.

But even if his body wanted it, physically it was genuinely impossible now. Ihyeon pretended not to notice and raised his gaze from between Liu's legs to his face instead.

"I forgot to mention—I got a call from your nuna when we were at the gallery earlier."

"Yuni?"

"No, Morae nuna."

"Oh."

"She said a promising property might be coming up in the area we want in Ubud."

"Really?"

Liu raised an eyebrow, pleased.

"She said there are two buildings. She thought it would be perfect to use the front one as a gallery and the back one as our home. She sounded really excited about it."

"I want to see it right away."

"Me too."

If they moved to Bali, they could live in the same house—together, continuously. Both of them had endured the long-distance relationship just for that. It was a bit later than planned, but the goal was finally within reach.

But why?

Even though they had endured longer and harsher stretches before, the remaining few months ahead felt strangely daunting to Liu.

Because he had now tasted the joy of daily life with Ihyeon. The happiness of looking at him and smiling, holding him, kissing him, with no secrets between them. The happiness of falling asleep to his face and waking up to it.

Looking down at Ihyeon, lost in thought, Liu traced his index finger along the clean line of his profile. Just as he was about to trace over his lips, Ihyeon's eyes turned toward him.

"Did you tell your parents about us going to Bali?"

"Hmm... not yet."

Ihyeon moved his head, adjusting the pillow, and turned more decisively toward him.

"Still, Kun should be the one to keep reaching out first."

"I know."

Liu laughed awkwardly, avoiding his gaze while doing nothing but lightly tracing Ihyeon's lips.

Because of the incident of Changing Ihyeon, Liu's parents had strongly rebuked their son. And that issue remained unresolved between them. While they hadn't avoided situations requiring them to meet, the intimacy and warmth that once existed had not been restored.

"Should I... try visiting them?"

Ihyeon said it cautiously. Liu shook his head several times, then pressed his cheek against Ihyeon's chest and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I don't want to show you how uncomfortable we are with each other over this."

"Are you going to be childish about it?"

Even as he spoke to chide him, the touch of Ihyeon's hand stroking Liu's hair was only gentle.

Liu's parents were soft on Ihyeon. There was likely some guilt and sense of debt toward their Ghost son's Changed partner—but beyond that, they simply viewed Seo Ihyeon, in his very nature, as someone precious and lovely.

Suki Kim in particular treasured the strange connection she had with Ihyeon. The child she had personally evaluated and given a special prize to years ago had become her son's lover—and that son and he were the world's only Ghost and Diamond Dust pair. She believed it was no ordinary bond.

If the two of them visited together, they could probably restore the relationship much faster. After all, those people could never be cold to Ihyeon. But thinking of Ihyeon trying to navigate the invisible awkward atmosphere... Liu didn't want to put that burden on him.

Stroking Ihyeon's flat stomach with his large palm, Liu spoke quietly.

"I know they went as far as a fake divorce for me—a Ghost—and did everything they could to protect me. Changing you... they might feel like it made all that effort worthless."

"......"

"I've explained everything—the time we spent, how we chose to love each other again. The whole process. But they still won't change... I don't know what else to do."

Ihyeon ran his fingers through Liu's hair, combing it softly downward.

"It's probably less that they're angry and more that they were shocked. They might just need a little more time."

"......"

"But you'll still try, right?"

"......"

"You'll try, even if it's just for my sake?"

Liu lifted his head and looked back at Ihyeon.

"See? I told you—you've finally learned how to handle me."

"So you don't like it?"

"How could I not? I wish you'd be even rougher with me."

Liu sat up, leaned forward, and gave Ihyeon a brief kiss on the lips. He wanted more water, but every bottle was empty. Getting off the bed, Liu found the least damp towel and wrapped it around his waist.

"I'll go get more water."

Ihyeon's gaze followed him as he left the bedroom. Even with the towel wrapped around him, his front was noticeable—that part of him jutting out prominently. Ihyeon knew it would take a few more minutes to fully subside.

When Liu returned with fresh water, Ihyeon was already propped up against the pillow. Ihyeon accepted the new bottle Liu handed him. He had just drained an entire one moments ago, but he downed half of this one in a single go.

"What time is the flight the day after tomorrow?"

"Flight? What flight?"

Crumpling the empty water bottle in his hand with a crunch, Liu feigned complete ignorance.

After returning to Paris together tomorrow, Liu was supposed to fly back to Seoul the day after. A month after that, they had a two-week trip to Bali planned—to find a place to live and sign a contract in advance. But just now, during the knotting, Ihyeon had told him not to go.

"What I said earlier... you understand, right?"

"What did you say?"

"It was because I was acting strange from the pheromones. So don't worry about it."

"Hmm... So all that crying and saying you didn't want us to break up was just because of the pheromones?"

Ihyeon fidgeted with the water bottle with anxious hands, not meeting Liu's eyes.

"K-Kun, you know too. How I get when I'm exposed to pheromones."

"Then once you become a Golden, there will definitely be no more crying or losing half your mind during sex, right?"

"I suppose so."

Liu leaned forward, bracing on the sheets, and tucked Ihyeon's hair behind his ear.

"I'm looking forward to it, actually. Pheromone-free sex with Seo Ihyeon."

Sex achieved purely through love and physical sensation, without the powerful aphrodisiac effect of pheromones. Like Betas.

Ihyeon glanced sideways at Liu. Liu wore that confident expression—the face of someone who believed he could make Ihyeon cry and lose half his mind even without pheromones—as he pursed his lips and moved closer. Ihyeon pushed those lips away with his palm.

"When I become a Golden, every time Awi acts this annoying, I'll flood you with pheromones so you can't move a muscle."

"I'll just give you pheromones, but I won't let you touch me."

"......"

"Why did you go quiet?"

The word "anxiously" went unspoken.

Liu, frowning, sighed with a genuinely earnest expression.

"If I'm looking forward to that too, that's a serious case, isn't it?"

Thump. Ihyeon leaned his forehead against Liu's shoulder. Then he started laughing, muffling the sound. The tremor of that laughter transferred directly to Liu, as if they were one.

· · · · ·

Arriving at Basel Station about thirty minutes early, the two bought a cup of coffee each from a café inside the station and made their way to the platform.

Basel Station was quite large, as it was where the Swiss rail line (SBB) and the French high-speed train (TGV) converged. Ihyeon held Liu's hand the entire time they moved through the station. This was because the day after Changing, Liu's eyes would go hazy—his vision dropping sharply.

It wasn't to the point of being unable to move around carefully, but Liu quietly held Ihyeon's hand and followed. He didn't mind—Ihyeon's unusual overprotectiveness was rather nice to experience. And in truth, he could barely read the letters on the departure boards showing platform numbers.

They first had to take the TGV to Dijon. Only there could they change trains to reach Paris Gare de Lyon.

Arriving at the platform, they set down their backpacks on a bench and looked around. The atmosphere created by the parallel tracks, the roof overhead, and the connected station building had a certain charm.

"Yuni nuna, is this a good time to talk?"

Ihyeon was on the phone with Yuni as soon as his backpack hit the bench.

"Yeah, we're waiting for the TGV right now... We should arrive at Gare de Lyon around 3 PM... No, we have to transfer once. At Dijon station."

Perhaps because it was the day they were coming home from the trip, Yuni seemed to be firing questions from the other end without pause. Liu chuckled to himself, and Ihyeon caught it and smiled back.

"Nuna, about tonight's gathering—it looks like we won't be able to make it."

Finally finding the right opening, Ihyeon brought up the main point in a careful, apologetic voice.

They had originally planned to attend a small drinking party with some colleagues from The Hands that evening. But with Liu's eyes in this state, attending an evening event was out of the question. He couldn't keep wearing sunglasses indefinitely.

Sipping his surprisingly decent coffee, Liu absentmindedly shifted his gaze. On the bench beside them, a family of four was waiting for the train. He couldn't make out their features clearly, but he could sense their general vibe well enough.

An easygoing-looking couple, a boy who appeared to be in the younger years of elementary school, and a girl who looked around middle school age. Liu watched them from behind his sunglasses—particularly the girl. Her gaze kept drifting toward Ihyeon.

She would pretend to talk to her mother sitting beside her, but her entire attention was directed at Ihyeon. He could feel it from across the platform.

She probably thought she was hiding it well. As most kids her age mistakenly believed—that they were clever enough to fool adults. But to Liu, her gaze was entirely transparent. Which made her seem all the more endearing.

He let out a quiet chuckle as he brought the coffee cup to his lips.

"No, it's not like that! If it were, I wouldn't have agreed to come in the first place.... Don't say weird things for no reason."

Completely unaware of the girl's stolen glances, Ihyeon was already flustered, his face reddening as he hurried to make excuses. It was obvious without even looking. Yuni must have teased him again—something like, What? Did you suddenly want tonight to yourselves since Liu is leaving tomorrow?

"It's not that, it's just that Kun isn't feeling well at all. And he has a long flight tomorrow, so... I-I don't know. It's not that he's sick... maybe it's just fatigue built up from such a long trip..."

The truth—that because Ihyeon had insisted the night before, they had ended up knotting and Changing three times after forty days of restraint, which was why Liu's eyes had gone white as snowballs and they couldn't make it out—was not something Ihyeon could say. He struggled to navigate his way through the explanation, all while the girl's attention remained fixed entirely on him.

Ihyeon's clean, neat face. His simple clothes made distinctive by how well they suited him. His long, elegant fingers holding the phone. His calm, pleasant voice speaking in a foreign language she couldn't understand. Everything about Ihyeon was probably making her heart flutter. Liu could fully imagine how Ihyeon must look to her.

He really is the type to be especially popular with people around that age.

Liu smiled quietly, feeling more proud than jealous. There was no malice in her shy, curious gaze. Though of course, if she tried to actually approach Ihyeon, that would be a different matter.

"You've gotten even more mischievous while I haven't seen you, nuna."

Ihyeon finally ended the call, looking exhausted.

"She couldn't tease you for forty days. You'll have to be prepared when we get back."

Ihyeon agreed with Liu's joking remark. But as he nodded and smiled, he was missing her—Liu could tell. Ihyeon knew there were precious people in Ihyeon's life besides him. And Liu was glad to have matured enough to feel gratitude for that, rather than jealousy.

The train arrived on schedule. The two tossed their empty cups and boarded.

Their first-class seats were on the second floor, so they climbed the stairs wearing their bulky backpacks. They had packed as lightly as possible, but forty days' worth of luggage was inherently hard to make sleek.

The first-class cabin was nearly empty—only four or five passengers scattered throughout. After securing their backpacks on the overhead shelf, they kept only their tablet PCs and headed deeper inside to find their seats. Even though there was nothing in the way, Ihyeon—walking ahead—reached back for Liu's hand and led him slowly.

A group of passengers was just entering from the opposite end. The girl's family. Again, she seemed pleased the moment she spotted Ihyeon. Even from this distance, Liu could tell her face kept turning this way.

"Kun, it's here."

Just as they were about to sit, Ihyeon looked around while still standing.

"What is it? Looking for the restroom?"

"I'll be right back. Kun, sit down."

"I saw when we came in—there doesn't seem to be a restroom this way. Go around."

"It's alright if I leave my seat, right?"

"Hm?"

Ihyeon, already starting to move, looked up at Liu with a worried face.

"I can see well enough—you know that. I'll sit here and wait, so go."

It had been so long since they had stopped knotting and Changing that Ihyeon's overprotectiveness was something Liu hadn't experienced in a while. He stroked Ihyeon's cheek fondly to reassure him.

Over Ihyeon's shoulder, the girl came into view again. Her family had chosen the four-seat table arrangement directly facing theirs—very close. Close enough that Liu could make out the general shape of her expression. Even seated, she kept looking up toward them.

"Ihyeon-ah."

"Yeah?"

Liu called out to Ihyeon as he turned to go. He drew him back by the waist and gave him a short, easy kiss. Ihyeon's eyes went wide. He smiled in surprised delight, then burst out laughing.

"What was that all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to kiss you."

Perhaps taken slightly off guard, Ihyeon didn't glance around or scold Liu. He just kept laughing, as if he couldn't stop himself. Liu smiled back as Ihyeon pushed lightly at his chest, and held onto his hand until the very last moment as he walked away—finally letting go with a trace of reluctance. Ihyeon shook his head, still smiling, and left the cabin.

The girl had watched the entire exchange. She didn't appear disappointed that Ihyeon had a partner. Only the quality of her curiosity had shifted slightly.

Liu was certain. Because of the kiss just now—and the atmosphere that had settled between them—Ihyeon had become an even more mysterious presence in her eyes.

An exotic, attractive young man encountered on a dull autumn train ride with her family, and the playful yet tender kiss he shared with his same-sex partner. For her, this scene would remain like a single vivid, beautiful photograph—perhaps even more beautiful than the reality itself had been.

Liu watched Ihyeon's retreating back before settling into his seat with a sense of quiet satisfaction. He opened the fold-down table and took out his tablet.

Back in Seoul, a backlog of work awaited him. Preparations for moving to Bali—establishing a new gallery and organization there—also had to begin in earnest. But none of it felt burdensome. On the contrary, he felt more motivated than ever. Because this was the new life he had been waiting for so long—the one he would start with Ihyeon.

"Don't go. Stay by my side."

Liu's expression stiffened slightly as he skimmed through the work emails Kwon Juhan had sent. However saturated by pheromones, however far gone from the knotting—Ihyeon last night had been genuinely unlike himself. Was he perhaps missing some significant change happening deep inside Ihyeon?

Rustle.

A pink object was thrust directly in front of his eyes. Liu looked up reflexively. Ihyeon was standing beside the seat with a sheepish expression. Liu's gaze returned to the pink object.

It was a mouse-shaped gummy.

"What... is this?"

Accepting it somewhat involuntarily, Liu rose from his seat in a daze. He continued to look bewildered as he moved aside so Ihyeon could take the window seat.

"I felt bad that you couldn't try one because of me."

"......"

"I saw them selling them at the shop on the platform."

Ihyeon dropped into the window seat, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and wouldn't look over. Liu had assumed he was going to the restroom—but it seemed he had slipped into the platform shop instead.

Whirr, hum.

The train began to move.

"If you can't eat it, leave it. I'll eat it for you. I'm really not picky."

"Ah... Seo Ihyeon, really. How many times are you going to make me fall for you again?"

"Don't make such a big deal out of a single jelly."

The reddened tips of his ears were adorable. Liu wrapped an arm around Ihyeon's shoulder and pulled him close. Liu rested his chin on Ihyeon's shoulder, brought his lips close to his ear, and whispered almost like an involuntary sigh.

"I want to run away with you like this."

"Why run away? No one is chasing us."

Liu chuckled softly against his shoulder.

"Just because. I don't want to send you back to Paris."

"......"

Ihyeon was quiet for a moment. Liu knew what this silence meant. Ihyeon was a person who conveyed his emotions through silence as much as through words. There was the awkward silence, the protesting silence, the blank silence of a mind gone empty, the silence of deep thought—and then the silence for holding complicated emotions back from spilling over. Like now.

Ihyeon gently placed his hand on Liu's back. Then, slowly stroking the breadth of it, he said,

"We're going to Bali soon anyway, so let's hold on a little longer."

"Right. That's true."

"Before this winter ends, I'll have sorted out my life in Paris—and after that... we'll be together so long you'll be sick of it."

Liu pulled Ihyeon out of his arms and playfully bumped their foreheads together.

"I can't agree with that last part."

Seo Ihyeon, comforting Liu's reluctance to part with calm, measured words—undoubtedly himself again. Because of that, Liu had absolutely no way of knowing what would happen the following afternoon.

The train slowly pulled away from the station.

Liu tore open the bag of gummies and picked up a mouse by its tail. The pink and white mouse jelly was as sweet and refreshing as its colors suggested.

"Hmm, not bad? As expected... you really can't judge a person or a jelly by their appearance."

At Liu's perfectly serious assessment, Ihyeon shook his head and laughed as if he couldn't help it.

The Swiss autumn flashed past outside the window. It was time to return to Paris. Back to daily life.

Diamond Dust Extra 2

A Diamond is Forever

To be continued in Volume 2.

1) ALDI: A large multinational supermarket chain based in Germany.

2) Monoprix: A large supermarket chain in France.

3) Monsieur: The French equivalent of the English "Mr."

4) Joyeux Noël: The French Christmas greeting, equivalent to the English "Merry Christmas."

5) Bistro: A French term referring to a casual, informal restaurant.