IRLPLBIO Chapter 32 Part 2

Jae-gu hesitated and mumbled, “The restroom…” His earlobes instantly turned bright red, as if it were something to be ashamed of. Things he hadn’t given a second thought to while living and bumping into each other in the same house now felt immensely significant in the space where only the two of them remained.

“Uh, yeah, right,” Kwang-cheol mumbled, whether as an answer or not, as he hung the IV bag on the stand. By the time he turned to support Jae-gu, he was able to resume his usual expression.

But as Jae-gu stepped down from the bed, just as he was about to slip his feet into his slippers, he simply slumped down.

“…?”

He just blinked blankly.

It was his own body, so why wouldn’t this body listen to him?

The strength drained from his waist, and his legs trembled, which felt strange. Even a newborn fawn would probably move more steadily than this.

“What’s wrong with this?”

Jae-gu patted his own thigh.

Unlike Jae-gu, who had no idea what was happening, Kwang-cheol knew the reason. Kwang-cheol, kneeling on one knee, offered his back to Jae-gu.

“It’s probably because you just underwent Balhyeon not long ago.”

“Balhyeon?”

“Yeah. Hyung… you just underwent Balhyeon a moment ago.”

Balhyeon. Where had he heard that word before?

Jae-gu racked his brain. Then, while being carried on Kwang-cheol’s back to the restroom, the answer finally came to him.

Balhyeon was a term that appeared in the secondary gender (형질) section. It described the manifestation of becoming an Alpha or an Omega during the third sexual characteristic. His diligent studying for the exam had paid off.

Jae-gu, feeling proud, immediately fell into thought again.

He had undergone Balhyeon, so was he an Alpha or an Omega? How did others even know their own secondary gender?

“…Hyung, you’re an Omega.”

“Did I just say that out loud?”

“No. I just figured you were wondering.”

Kwang-cheol, with an uncanny perception, cleared up Jae-gu’s questions. They truly were close enough to understand each other without words.

“…Wait, an Omega?”

“Yes.”

“I’m an Omega?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Th-the, pre, pregnancy, pregnancy…!”

“…You don’t get pregnant just by doing nothing.”

Kwang-cheol’s voice was very calm. He already knew Jae-gu was clueless, but it seemed Jae-gu was even more profoundly clueless than he had thought. They had a long way to go.

Even Jae-gu, who had been horrified by the unbelievable reality, assimilated into Kwang-cheol’s calmness and relaxed his body.

“I’m an Omega? Isn’t that strange to anyone who sees me? It’ll definitely be funny. They’ll think it’s ridiculous… But how can Kwang-cheol be so calm?”

Jae-gu, limp and lacking strength, leaned completely against Kwang-cheol’s back. As he rested his cheek between Kwang-cheol’s neck and shoulder, Kwang-cheol’s heart thumped loudly and wildly.

“Ah, he’s not calm either.”

Jae-gu, greatly mistaken about Kwang-cheol’s feelings, finally felt relieved. Even if he was an Omega, he was still a man, so what would change? He would continue to be Kwang-cheol’s hyung, and Kwang-cheol would be his dongsaeng, closer than a blood brother.

Jae-gu, as if playing a prank, rubbed his cheek against the base of Kwang-cheol’s nape. He could clearly see Kwang-cheol’s neck turning bright red, warming up from the bottom.

“Hehehe,” Jae-gu giggled, and this time, he even rubbed his lips near Kwang-cheol’s shoulder.

“…!”

Kwang-cheol’s body flinched and trembled. He paused for a moment, then started walking again in an awkward stance. Now even his ears were flushed red.

An oddly familiar scent emanated from Kwang-cheol’s nape. It was a scent he had smelled before. A heavy and rich scent that permeated without any sense of repulsion.

Jae-gu, who had taken a deep breath to inhale more, suddenly realized.

These were Kwang-cheol’s pheromones. He knew it instinctively, without anyone telling him.

Instead of playing more pranks, Jae-gu quietly held his breath. This was his dongsaeng, whom he had to protect and support, certainly… yet, something warm stirred deep inside his chest.