Falling for the Omega Idol-Chapter 192: A FANCY CANDLE
HANEUL jolted in his seat at Taeyang’s words. He spun toward the other. But he moved too quickly, and Taeyang had no time to pull away. With the other still leaning in close, when Haneul turned their noses brushed against each other. Both of them jerked back so suddenly they nearly toppled from their chairs.
He felt his heart pounding hard and fast against his ribs, the rhythm frantic and loud in his ears after their unexpected touch. The sensation left him momentarily breathless. He deliberately drew in a slow breath, then let it out, willing his pulse to steady. Once the initial shock passed, he made himself concentrate on what Taeyang just said.
Taeyang said he smelled like caramel.
The statement immediately pulled Haneul’s thoughts back to their private conversation on the beach. Taeyang had explained then that even with his Pheromone Blindness, Haneul’s scent was the only one he could smell, strongly suggesting their pheromone match rate was pretty high. At the time, Haneul had acknowledged the fact but hadn’t truly paused to consider its deeper meaning.
So when Taeyang told him that, it must mean that his pheromones must actually smell like caramel to the other.
The thought that he might smell like something so sweet to Taeyang sent a fresh wave of heat across his skin. He felt himself blushing deeply. Did he really seem like someone who would have a caramel scent?
Thinking back, since he arrived in this world and became an Omega, he had never actually smelled another person’s pheromones. At least, not until that incident with Lee Minjae. That had not been a pleasant experience. After learning that Alphas and Omegas could smell different to other Alphas and Omegas based on their match rates, he suddenly felt extremely grateful for scent blockers.
Because just imagine if he had to smell all different kinds of scents every day, with many of them being unpleasant. Haneul would probably lose his mind. Fortunately, every Alpha and Omega in this program consistently wore their scent blockers. Naturally, he did too.
But wait, then why could Taeyang smell him? Was this still because of their high pheromone match rate? But then, how come he couldn’t smell the other? No, wait. Hadn’t there been a scent he noticed from Taeyang a few times? It was a mix of honey and deep wood, with just a faint trace of spice. He remembered suddenly going into heat when he first smelled it. Now that he knew about their high match rate, it made sense why that heat had been triggered.
How come he smelled like simple caramel to Taeyang, while Taeyang smelled like a complex blend of scents to him? Was it because Taeyang had simple preferences and he had more complicated ones?
Or maybe Taeyang simply preferred sweet things. Haneul had noticed that Taeyang always took dessert with his meals. There was also that candy Taeyang had shared with him on the bus to The Hwarang Seoul. He had observed how the other occasionally ate one. Not that he was watching him closely or anything. But this suggested Taeyang probably had a sweet tooth. And caramel must be his favorite flavor.
The realization made Haneul’s face grow even warmer. He could feel the heat spreading across his cheeks and down his neck. He quickly dropped his gaze to the floor, suddenly very aware of how obvious his blush must be. The thought that his natural scent might be Taeyang’s favorite flavor was almost too much to process.
He stole a quick look at the other and immediately noticed the tips of his ears were bright red. This showed Taeyang must have been just as embarrassed by what had just occurred. Seeing this helped Haneul settle down somewhat, and his mind began to function normally again. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
He cleared his throat gently. "Perhaps it would be better not to discuss my scent in such a public space," he suggested quietly.
Taeyang scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression and whispered back, "Yeah, sorry about that. The words just came out before I could stop them. If it would make you feel better, you can also tell me how I smell."
Haneul raised an eyebrow in amusement. Why did it seem like Taeyang simply wanted to know how he smelled? He shook his head and decided to humor him. "You smell a little sweet, a little woody, and also a little spicy."
Taeyang blinked, as if he hadn’t expected that answer. "So... I smell like a fancy candle?"
Haneul didn’t expect that response at all. It caught him so completely off guard that a loud, genuine laugh burst out of him before he could stop it.
Taeyang watched, completely captivated, as Haneul laughed. The sound wrapped around him, and for a moment, nothing else in the room seemed to matter. He found himself thinking that he would do just about anything to hear that laugh again. In that moment, with his face glowing and eyes sparkling with genuine joy, Haneul looked so beautiful that it made Taeyang’s breath catch in his chest.
Before he could think it through, his hand lifted, drawn toward Haneul’s face. But luckily, before he could actually touch him, Robin’s voice cut through the moment and stopped him.
"You two, it’s our turn for makeup," Robin told them.
Taeyang looked toward the others. Robin was already on his feet, along with Joonhyuk and Seongwoo. Haneul also stood up, his cheeks slightly pink, probably embarrassed they had not noticed it was their group’s turn. He stood up as well, trying to appear composed even though his head was full of thoughts about how cute Haneul looked.
The four of them walked toward the makeup area. Taeyang was still watching Haneul’s back as the other walked ahead. He was so focused that he nearly missed Robin walking beside him. If Robin hadn’t spoken, he probably would not have noticed the other at all.
"Try to be careful," Robin said quietly. "Just remember that cameras are always watching."
Taeyang understood exactly what Robin meant. He was clearly referring to how he and Haneul had been whispering together earlier. Robin was warning him to watch his actions, particularly if it could affect Haneul.
He nodded. "Yeah, I will."
