Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 220: Chapter 220 - I’m Fuc*ed

Jai ran back to his room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. His heart pounded in his ears, and his face felt like it had been set on fire. The heat still hadn’t gone down.

He rubbed his face furiously. It’s because of what I saw. That’s all. Just... a normal hormonal reaction to seeing people do it.

His steps were uneven as he made his way to the bed. The scent of agarwood still lingered on his clothes making him even more... hot and bothered.

He gulped audibly.

”Nope,” he said to himself, pacing back and forth near the bunk. ”It was definitely what I saw. Not the scent. Nope. That guy’s scent had nothing to do with it. Just two people getting it on. That’s all.”

He grumbled and threw the food bag onto the table, then climbed up onto his bunk. Below, his grandfather was still sleeping peacefully on the bottom bed, snoring softly.

Across the room, Hana was sitting beside Yuki, helping her eat. The little girl blinked up, her eyes moving to Jai’s cherry-red face.

”Why does brother look like a cherry?” she mumbled through a spoonful.

Hana looked up, surprised, and her gaze locked on Jai’s flushed face. Her brows pulled together. ”Yeah... why are you blushing?”

Jai scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. ”I’m not blushing. It’s just... hot in here. That’s all.”

He laid back down abruptly, rolling to face the wall, hoping they’d drop it. Hana narrowed her eyes but said nothing, turning back to help Yuki finish her food.

After a few minutes, the girl was full and cuddled into her side. Hana stood up and stretched, letting out a tired sigh. Zei’s top bunk was empty—he’d wandered off somewhere again earlier that morning.

A soft grumble drew her attention back to Jai’s bed. His head peeked over the edge of the blanket, a pout clear on his lips as he gazed at her with that same lingering redness.

Hana walked over, concern knitting her face. ”Are you sick?” she asked, pressing a palm to his forehead. It was warm—but not fever warm.

”You’re still red. Is this like an allergic reaction?” she asked, her worry increasing. She was about to turn toward the door, probably to go get Qiu Yue.

”No, wait!” Jai grabbed her wrist suddenly, glancing down to check that his grandfather was still sleeping.

He lowered his voice. ”I... I want to talk to you. You’re also an omega, right? Like Yunfeng said.”

Hana tilted her head. ”Yeah?”

His voice dropped even more. ”Do you... ever smell a scent and find it... irresistible?”

Hana blinked. ”No. My nose is still like before. Why? Did you smell someone and...”

Her eyes widened.

”Ohhh—you got hard smelling someone, didn’t you?” she blurted.

Jai’s entire face turned crimson.

”No! I—I can’t believe this!” he groaned and rolled around on the bed like his blankets could somehow save him.

Hana let out a delighted squeal, bouncing on her toes. ”Who is it? Do I know them? Is it a girl? A guy? Wait, can male omegas even be with women? I don’t think books cover this kind of topic much.”

She started to ramble, while Jai felt like he was going to physically melt into his mattress.

He clutched the blanket tightly, eyes darting to his very stubborn third leg.

”I’m f***ed...” he whispered in horror.

Jai lay on his bed, mortified, stiff in more ways than one.

He let out a shaky breath as he buried his red face deeper into the crook of his arm. His body refused to calm down, his pulse thudding wildly in his throat. His lower half—God help him—was waving a flag of rebellion under his blanket, and no amount of denial could make it go away.

He was just a twenty-year-old guy. He shouldn’t be this flustered. Not like this. Not over a scent. Not over him.

Since childhood, girls had doted on him. Boys too, occasionally. He’d always been attractive, charming, polite. He’d gotten notes in lockers, confessions in spring, stares in summer. He’d smiled, accepted chocolates, even patted a few heads. But it had all been... nothing. No spark. No pulse-racing madness.

Never once had he felt this uncontrollable flood in his veins.

Not like this.

He pressed the pillow over his face, groaning quietly. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m not some hormonal beast. I’ve always had control. I’ve always been cool!

His thoughts were a mess. His body was worse.

’I swear to all the gods, this has to be because of what I saw,’ he thought to himself. ’It’s not him. It can’t be because of Shao. Just caught off guard, that’s all.’

But even as he told himself that, the lingering scent of Shao’s presence earlier in the hallway clung to his senses—warm spice and sharp winter air, soaked into his memory like ink in paper.

”I’m so, so screwed,” Jai muttered to himself.

Just then, a persistent voice poked at him.

”Come on, who is it?” Hana chirped. ”Tell me! I promise I won’t laugh. Or maybe I will. But only a little.”

”Go away, Hana...” Jai grumbled, dragging his blanket even higher to hide the tent forming beneath.

She giggled. ”Okay, okay. But you’re really acting like a love-struck mess right now.”

Right then, the door creaked open.

Jai froze.

His whole body tensed as panic surged through his veins. Is it him? Oh god. Please don’t be him. I’ll die if it’s him. What if he sees me like this?! He’ll think I’m a pervert! Lusting after a friend!

He squeezed his eyes shut, heart thudding against his ribcage like a trapped animal.

”Oh, Zei! Where have you been?” Hana’s voice floated across the room casually.

Jai let out a quiet breath of relief and slowly peeked out from under his blanket.

But then—

His eyes met a sharp pair of obsidian black ones.

Shao stood just behind Zei.

Jai let out a squeak and immediately dove back under his covers like a turtle retreating into its shell.

AGHH! You traitor, Hana! Why didn’t you say Shao was here?!

He curled up tighter, wishing he could disappear into the bed itself. The heat returned to his face in full force, betraying every shred of dignity he had left.

Hana, meanwhile, raised a brow and looked back and forth between Jai’s lump of a body and Shao’s focused, unblinking gaze directed exactly at the suspicious bulge in the blanket.

A mischievous smile slowly stretched on her lips.

’I feel love in the air...’ she thought to herself with a giggle.

Without missing a beat, she grabbed Zei’s arm. ”Brother Zei, why don’t you tell me all about your day’s adventures—outside.”

”Wait—huh? Why are you dragging me—?”

But Zei didn’t resist too much. He was soon swept out of the room by Hana’s eager tug, his voice fading as he began chatting about a lost backpack or something.

The door clicked shut.

And then there was silence.

Shao stood still in the center of the room, his eyes never leaving the lump on the top bunk.

Jai didn’t move.

”Jai...” Shao’s voice was low, calm. ”Are you okay?”

”I’m fine,” came the muffled response.

”Are you sure?”

”I said I’m fine!” Jai’s head popped out from under the blanket, face redder than a ripened tomato.

He glared down at Shao. ”What do you want? If you’ve got nothing to say, just... just leave me be.”

Without waiting, he ducked back inside his fortress of fabric, curling up again like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

”Why are you even here?” he muttered under his breath.

There was a pause. The kind that stretched too long, too thick, heavy in the air.

And then Shao said it.

”Because I can smell you all the way over in my room.”