Dirty Switch

─ Don’t catch a cold! By the way, what the hell is Seo Baekhan doing? My baby’s been sleeping for three days straight like a starving puppy and that bastard’s nowhere to be found.
“…I’m going on the Ferris wheel with Baekhan-hyung.”
Joo Taehyun knew full well that Joo Yoonwoo wasn’t actually curious about Baekhan’s whereabouts. It was probably just a passing grumble before hanging up. Still, he went out of his way to add a detail she likely didn’t care about at all.

Only after saying it out loud did Joo Taehyun realize he’d wanted to brag to someone—anyone—about this moment.
He’d never understood the kind of people who flood social media with hashtags and intimate couple updates. But now, he got ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) it. Completely.
Because he couldn’t believe he was actually here, with someone he loved.

If he didn’t record it somewhere, if he didn’t scream it at the top of his lungs, it felt like the moment might just vanish like a puff of smoke.
─ Ugh, seriously.
Yoonwoo sounded like she was about to say something else, but ended the call with a few heavy sighs and a half-sincere “have fun.”

Perfect timing too—just then, the car came to a slow stop. There were still… hmm, about fifteen minutes left until the meetup. The weather was chilly but nice, and the parking lot was empty. Taehyun debated whether to step out for some fresh air.
His body still felt off… but that was only because they’d had sex. He’d be fine, right?
Even now, when it felt like his sense of smell had been completely wiped out, the pheromones Seo Baekhan had left all over his body asserted their presence, thick and heavy. He’d been dazed from inhaling Baekhan’s scent the entire time he was resting, and now he wanted to clear his head in the cold air.

With his face buried in the bathrobe, he reached up to smooth his disheveled hair and moved to open the door—when a sudden pang of hunger hit, tightening the space between his brows.
…What?
Even on days he skipped two meals, he’d never felt this starved.

Rubbing his belly, now tingling with a strange craving, Taehyun slowly realized where the sensation came from.
This wasn’t hunger. It was pheromone withdrawal.
His lower body throbbed faintly with something that clearly wasn’t his own—it was Baekhan’s pheromones, lingering and vibrating. He’d been wearing the man’s clothes this whole time, wrapped in the scent, and yet every cell in his body was screaming that it wasn’t enough.

It was like… he’d dared to wish the cold wind would strip Baekhan’s scent away, and now he was being punished. A brutal, animalistic craving surged to the top of his head.
The hunger he felt—mental, not physical—was unfamiliar. Taehyun checked the time again, then instinctively pressed his nose back into Baekhan’s bathrobe.
What if it happens again, like back at Yeonhwagung?
That incident must never happen again.

It had probably been unpleasant and embarrassing for Baekhan too—but for Taehyun, it had been catastrophic. If he’d been even a little younger, a little weaker, he might’ve made a terrible choice.
“…Hng.”
Taehyun sniffed at the robe like a hound, inhaling Baekhan’s pheromones. He lightly gnawed the soft fabric, even suckled it a bit, like he could draw out more of the scent.

He was breathing fast, desperate to stabilize himself—
—and that’s when the backseat window quietly slid down.
“…Ah.”

“What are you doing? I’ve been knocking and you didn’t even notice.”
…It was Seo Baekhan.
Taehyun blinked slowly, stunned. Then, flustered, he shoved the bathrobe aside. Baekhan’s eyes lingered there for a brief moment, but Taehyun couldn’t bring himself to ask if he’d seen what he was doing.

Did he see it? …He probably did.
But the windows were tinted, right? He couldn’t have seen everything.
…Still, why didn’t the driver give me a heads-up before rolling the window down?

His mind was a mess, but Taehyun opened the door and stepped out like nothing happened.
“You got here quickly.”
Just act normal. Baekhan knows exactly how wild his pheromones have been lately. This was just preventive—nothing to be ashamed of.

“Just now. Traffic wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
Thankfully, Baekhan didn’t tease or question him about what he’d been doing with his nose in the robe. He simply closed the car door behind Taehyun and motioned, saying, “This way.”
And just like that, Taehyun calmed down again.

Maybe it wasn’t the remnants of scent on the clothes, but actually being near Baekhan—and his pheromones—that helped.
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.
What mattered was that Baekhan was being unusually kind today.

He pretended not to see what happened in the car, and filled the silence with light conversation.
“In spring, this place gets really crowded. All kinds of flowers bloom—it’s beautiful.”
“I can imagine. Namsan’s the same way.”

Even though the sun was setting, the weather was nice enough that it didn’t feel cold. The crisp wind on his face felt more refreshing than chilly.
Honestly, Taehyun didn’t care about flowers.
Even bare branches and shriveled leaves looked beautiful to him now—because he never thought there’d be a day when he could walk side by side with Baekhan like this.

“Wow. It’s huge.”
Up close, the Ferris wheel looked massive. The giant metal structure creaked loudly even in the gentle wind.
But maybe it was the bright expressions of the people waiting in line—despite the lack of lighting, the Ferris wheel didn’t feel eerie at all. It just looked… romantic.

“There’s not much of a line today. Off-season.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“Nice not having to wait though, right?”

“…Yeah.”
The Ferris wheel began its slow, groaning rotation—like a tiny boat braving violent waves. Maybe it was the weight of two tall men sitting inside, but their cabin swayed less than the empty ones.
“It’s… really pretty.”

The cabin was so cramped their knees weren’t just touching—they had to wedge their legs between each other. Taehyun couldn’t move without bumping into Baekhan, so he just stared out the window, awkwardly blurting out a comment.
Honestly, the timing was strange. It wasn’t sunset or nighttime—if someone were going to ride the Ferris wheel on a day like this, they probably wouldn’t choose this hour.
“…By the way, hyung.”

Baekhan hadn’t said a word since they boarded. Taehyun was the only one squirming in discomfort.
Maybe Baekhan just wanted to enjoy the view, like the name “Ferris wheel” implied. But sitting in silence made his mind wander—straight to what happened in the car earlier.
That look Baekhan gave when he glanced at the robe—at the stain.

The shame, the mortification—it made Taehyun feel like he was sinking through the floor. Desperate to break the silence, he tried to speak up.
“People—well, I mean, Pyongyang citizens—they seem to really respect you, hyung.”
Out of all the things he could’ve said, that’s what he chose.

“I mean, even though they clearly recognized you, no one rushed up to ask for photos or talk to you, so it seems like they respect your priva—”
“Taehyun.”
“…Yeah?”

“Earlier.”
With their legs tangled like this, even Baekhan’s voice sent tremors through Taehyun’s body. Only now did he realize how loud his own babbling had been.
“In the car. Why were you doing that?”

“…”
“Because you were low on my pheromones?”
Ah… so much for pretending not to notice. Blindsided by the embarrassment, Taehyun scowled. If he didn’t, he might do something Baekhan hated—like biting his lip or shrinking away.

“It wasn’t exactly ‘low.’ I just… didn’t want things to spiral like at Yeonhwagung again, so—mmph!”
Before he could finish, his lower lip was bitten, hard. Baekhan chewed like he was trying to tear it apart, then gently licked and soothed the spot once the taste of blood hit.
His arms came up on either side of Taehyun’s face, bracing against the cabin’s window. Taehyun instinctively leaned back. When did we get in this position…? Eyes wide, he found himself pinned inside Baekhan’s frame.

The weight shift made the Ferris wheel creak ominously.
It wasn’t packed, but it wasn’t empty either. What if someone hears? Panic rose—only to be drowned by the wet heat of Baekhan’s tongue brushing his palate.
Whatever. Let them take photos. It’s not like they were having sex—they were just kissing.

An overripe fruit scent, completely out of place for winter, filled the tiny cabin. Taehyun, trapped in Baekhan’s arms, drank in his spit like a man possessed. Just a kiss, and yet the angle made it feel like he was being crushed underneath him. It reminded him—too vividly—of the time in the hotel.
Their lips parted with a wet pop, and they hovered in a breathless silence, listening only to each other’s ragged breathing.
“…I really didn’t plan on doing anything today.”

Baekhan murmured it with their lips still brushing.
That snapped Taehyun out of it.
Again? If we do it again today, I’m seriously going to break in half.

Sure, he was desperate for even a speck more of Baekhan’s pheromones, but still…
No way he means here. In public? If anything, he’ll suggest the car again.
If they were going to do it, he hoped it’d be later. After riding the Ferris wheel, visiting a restaurant, sightseeing a bit… It didn’t have to be some perfect date route—but at least eat something before jumping each other, right? Not that it mattered. In the end, they’d do whatever Baekhan wanted. But until then, just a little more…

“Um, hyung.”
Just as he tried to gently speak up, a sharp vibration broke the tension.
“Oh—must be my sister. I talked to her earlier—”

His phone had somehow slipped into the corner of the seat. Both of them glanced at the screen together.
[Cheon Seungpil]
Taehyun, momentarily thrilled at the excuse to change the subject, froze at the sight of the name.

Cheon Seungpil. Would answering now help shift the mood…?
“Seungpil, huh.”
“Ah. Yeah.”

He couldn’t just let the phone keep vibrating, so Taehyun hesitantly reached for it.
“Actually, my sister asked me to talk to you about something related to Seungpil earlier…”
“Yeah? Then you should answer.”

“…Hyung?”
Baekhan, squeezing himself into the cramped space beside him, wrapped an arm around Taehyun’s shoulder and calmly reached over to press the answer button.
─ Joo Taehyun! I got a message from Yoonwoo-noona—can I just come over to your place?

Seungpil’s brash voice filled the tiny cabin, no speaker mode needed.
─ When’s that bastard Seo Baekhan’s rut, anyway? You’ll be home alone then, right?