Sliding the shirt off Yoon Seoyul’s broad shoulders, Cheon Areum pressed himself against him, hugging him tightly. His cheek squished against the firm, well-defined muscles, feeling the warmth and strength beneath his skin.
"Pheromones."
He demanded, voice low but insistent. Yoon Seoyul’s hand moved to pat his back as his pheromones began to seep into the air between them, wrapping around Cheon Areum like a tangible embrace—warm, intoxicating, and impossible to resist.
"You have to clear a gate soon. Have you decided on one?"
Cheon Areum asked, still clinging to him, completely lost in the intoxicating swirl of Yoon Seoyul’s pheromones.
"I’m not leaving you and Rian here alone."
Yoon Seoyul replied firmly, his arms tightening slightly around him.
"What about your hunter license then?"
Cheon Areum pressed, tilting his head to look up at him, eyes sharp beneath the haze of desire and fatigue.
"....."
"You planning to drill another hole in the Central Bureau to make them change the rule for you?"
"I’m the only one who can possibly subdue him right now Areum. They will understand."
"Okay."
He wasn’t going to insist on Yoon Seoyul leaving him anyway. It was also true that he couldn’t fight against Kihyun right now.
"Does the pill help?"
"Hmm. Tell Hwan to make so more for ...how many tis can I take it in a day?"
"Only twice but he’s working on improving them. Don’t worry your core will heal soon."
Listening to the steady rhythm of Yoon Seoyul’s heartbeat and the quiet vibration of his voice against his chest, Cheon Areum’s eyes slowly began to droop.
The warmth surrounding him was too comfortable—too safe. His fingers loosened their hold without him realizing, his breathing gradually evening out as the tension that had lingered in his body finally lted away. At so point, without even noticing when it happened, Cheon Areum fell asleep.The voice that eventually pulled him back from that deep, heavy sleep was also a familiar one.
When Cheon Areum’s eyes slowly opened, the first thing he saw was the living room table. Rian was sitting on the floor in front of it, legs folded beneath him, completely absorbed in what he was doing. A sheet of paper lay spread out before him. His small hand moved across it with precision, the white colored pencil gliding carefully over the surface as he continued drawing, his entire focus locked onto the picture forming beneath the tip. His brows were slightly furrowed in concentration, lips pressed together as if even breathing too loudly might ruin the line he was working on.
This was probably the only ti Rian ever looked this serious. His small face was set with intense concentration, brows slightly drawn together as he worked carefully on the paper in front of him.
Cheon Areum, anwhile, was bundled up on the L-shaped couch, a thick wool blanket wrapped around him. it seems like Yoon Seoyul had abandoned him but Rian was keeping him company.
"Is it the sa one?"
Cheon Areum pushed himself up sluggishly from the couch, his movents slow and heavy with lingering sleep. He rubbed his eyes once before leaning forward, curious, about to peek at the drawing. But the mont his gaze dropped toward the paper—
Rian slapped both hands over it in the blink of an eye. The speed was so sudden it surprised even Cheon Areum.
"It is... but you can’t see it yet!"
Rian declared quickly, leaning over the paper protectively as if guarding a priceless secret.
"You know that will make more curious."
Cheon Areum spoke nonchalantly, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at Rian with the unmistakable gaze of soone who wouldn’t hesitate to start a tug-of-war with a child just to see what he was hiding.
Rian noticed it imdiately.
In response, he switched tactics at lightning speed—lifting his head and staring up at him with wide, bright eyes filled with desperate pleading.
"Hyung... I’ll show you when it’s done."
"How long will that take?"
"Just a few minutes, minutes!"
Cheon Areum studied him for another second before finally retreating without much resistance. It was only a few minutes, after all.
But even after those "few minutes" passed...
After he had taken a shower.
After he had wandered into the kitchen and stolen a kiss from Yoon Seoyul, who was busy preparing dinner.
When he returned to the living room—
Rian was still sitting in the exact sa spot.
Still hunched over the paper.
Still drawing with the sa fiery concentration as before.
"..."
They exchanged a brief glance—one that carried a quiet, knowing understanding between them. Then suddenly Rian brightened.
"Oh, hyung! I just rembered, I had sothing to ask you!"
"What?"
Rian quickly seized the opportunity. Before Cheon Areum could redirect his attention back to the drawing, he grabbed Cheon Areum’s phone and pulled up a picture on the screen, holding it out for him to see.
"This person—why is he wanted? What did he do?"
Cheon Areum’s gaze dropped to the screen. The mont he saw the face displayed there, his expression subtly stilled. It was Kihyun. The exact sa image that had been circulating publicly—shared everywhere for identification and warnings.
For a brief mont, Cheon Areum said nothing.
Then he reached forward and pressed the screen dark, turning the phone off before lowering it slowly.
"Why do you want to know?"
He asked, a faint frown settling between his brows as he looked at Rian. At that mont, Yoon Seoyul walked into the living room. Rian’s attention imdiately shifted to him instead of answering. His head turned quickly, eyes locking onto Seoyul as if silently asking for guidance. Cheon Areum followed his gaze naturally and glanced at Yoon Seoyul as well.
"Did you tell him about Kihyun?"
Cheon Areum didn’t bother circling around the question. He asked it directly the mont Yoon Seoyul stepped into the room.
"Can I tell hyung now?"
Rian asked almost at the sa ti, looking at Yoon Seoyul with uncertain eyes. Yoon Seoyul stopped a few steps away, clearly caught between the two pairs of identical purple eyes staring straight at him.
"What’s this about? I never told him about Kihyun."
He answered Cheon Areum first, his tone calm as he walked closer. Rian watched him approach uneasily, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, clearly unsure what he was supposed to do now. Until Cheon Areum spoke again.
"It’s fine. Tell ."
His voice was gentle but firm, urging him to speak without worrying about Yoon Seoyul’s presence. Rian hesitated for a mont before stepping closer. Cheon Areum reached out and took both of his small hands in his own, holding them reassuringly.
"Yoon Seoyul told not to say it yet... since you were already sick..."
Rian muttered quietly, lowering his head as he nervously rubbed one foot against the other. Cheon Areum waited for him to speak again after taking his ti Rian finally said it.
"This person... I’ve t him many tis now."
Rian’s voice was quiet as he spoke, still staring down at his feet.
"He’s been coming to our house... without being invited. After I caught him that one ti, he didn’t hide anymore. He just kept showing up whenever I was alone."
He hesitated for a mont before adding honestly,
"Is he wanted because he breaks into people’s houses?"
"..."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Cheon Areum hadn’t realized it, but his hands had unconsciously tightened around Rian’s smaller ones. The grip wasn’t painful, but it was firm—tense in a way that betrayed the anxiety he was trying not to show.
"When was the first ti he ca over?"
Rian thought for a mont.
"Maybe... one month ago, I think."
One month. Cheon Areum’s gaze darkened slightly. So Kihyun had already been watching him long before Cheon Areum had even realized the man existed. Carefully observing, calculating, waiting... all while planning how to take his skill. Which ant he had likely examined every possible thod. Every possible target. Every possible weakness. Yet in the end, Kihyun had still chosen to co directly for him. Even after seeing all the alternatives and after knowing the risks.
Was it because killing him in a fair one-on-one fight was the most efficient thod? The thought made sothing unpleasant stir inside Cheon Areum. Because if that were the case...
Then it ant Kihyun had decided that Cheon Areum was the easiest path.
"You knew... and still didn’t think of telling ?"
Cheon Areum turned to speak with Yoon Seoyul on his side.
"I was going to tell you when you felt better, Areum."
Yoon Seoyul answered calmly, his tone steady, as if the decision had been obvious. What was the point of getting angry at Yoon Seoyul?
The answer was already clear to him.
Ever since the pregnancy, everyone around him had begun treating him differently—carefully, cautiously, as if he had suddenly beco sothing fragile that might break if handled too roughly. As if he needed to be protected from things that would even spark a hint of irritation from him but realization irritated him more than anything.
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