By Zephyria A feeling of disgust and a sudden wave of nausea washed over him. He was frozen for a moment, but soon moved his feet quickly with a fierce expression. Who the hell is it? Who dares to be in my house?
The scent grew stronger and stronger. In addition, the scent of Omega’s pheromones was mixed in, quickly confusing his mind. His unstoppable steps soon turned into a run. Winston ran up three steps at a time and quickly reached the second floor.
Yu-jin.
There was only one thought in his head. Could something have happened to Yu-jin? A robber? Was he hurt? Yu-jin, please, be safe…!
Winnie.
The ominous feeling that he might not be able to see Yu-jin smiling brightly and hugging him as always made his heart feel colder than ice. He was terrified and his breathing quickened involuntarily. Winston opened the bedroom door, pale with fear. At the same time, a strong pheromone scent rushed in, and his vision blurred for a moment.
He quickly covered his nose and mouth with one hand and blinked. His vision gradually cleared and soon things became clear. Soon after, Winston saw it. On the bed, or around it, men who were completely naked, or partially undressed.
And Yu-jin was there.
Completely naked, in the same pose as in the photo.
Winston was momentarily stunned as if he had been hit in the head with something. What’s going on? What are you doing now? My Yu-jin, why…?
“Winnie!”
Winston finally came to his senses at Yu-jin’s cry. He blinked and soon saw his face looking at him.
“Help me, help me, Winnie!”
Yu-jin was calling out to him desperately, terrified among the men. Only then did Winston realize the situation. A robber had broken into the house.
Not only did they take things, but they were trying to defile Yu-jin.
There was no need to think any further. He rushed to save Yu-jin without hesitation.
“You bastards, get away from Yu-jin right now!”
Soon a dogfight broke out. Winston fearlessly swung his fists at the men who attacked him. A jaw was turned in one punch, and someone’s teeth flew out. It was a ridiculously easy and obvious match. Winston soon got close enough to reach Yu-jin. All that was left was to hold his lover and reassure him. And the moment his face, which he had missed so much, filled his vision.
“Winnie, look out behind you!”
Yu-jin shouted urgently. And then someone hit Winston hard in the back.
His vision shook violently for a moment. Winston staggered for the first time and almost fell to the ground. He heard Yu-jin’s piercing scream. Winston quickly shook his head and looked back. One of the group was looking at him with a golf club in his hand. Winston cursed under his breath and swung his fist at him, but then another man hit him. This time, Winston had no choice but to kneel.
“Winnie, no! Stop it!”
Yu-jin was at a loss and jumped in to save him, but was slapped on the cheek and flew away. Seeing this, Winston tried to grab the man who had slapped Yu-jin. He wouldn’t let that bastard die peacefully. He was about to blow his jaw off with burning anger and hatred.
Bang, a thunderous sound echoed loudly. An eerie silence settled in the faint echo.
…Huh?
Strangely, one side of his chest was burning. He also felt a strange feeling, as if wind was leaking out.
What is it?
Winston was puzzled, but he didn’t have time to think deeply about what it was. For some reason, the men were hesitating, frightened. Maybe they were embarrassed that the situation wasn’t going as planned. That’s right, they wouldn’t have expected me to show up so suddenly.
“You…”
As Winston gritted his teeth and reached out one hand, the man who was pointing the gun pulled the trigger in succession. Bang, bang, bang, with a loud noise, holes appeared all over Winston’s body. The men who were watching the scene were terrified and didn’t know what to do, looking around with their eyes.
“Aaaagh!”
“R-run! Hurry!”
Suddenly someone screamed, and as if that sound was a signal, the men began to run away, vying with each other. Winston turned to grab them, but his vision blurred for a moment and he slumped down.
“Winnie!”
Yu-jin screamed and ran to him. A voice full of tears was calling Winston repeatedly. For some reason, Winston was gasping for breath, heaving his chest, and leaning against the wall.
“What do I do, what do I do… Winston, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry…”
Yu-jin was crying, hugging Winston, and repeating the same words over and over again. Why? Yu-jin is the victim. Why is he apologizing to me?
Winston truly thought so. Anyway, the most important thing to him right now was that Yu-jin was crying.
“Are you hurt?”
Haa, haa, Winston asked between rough breaths.
“Are you hurt, honey?”
He stroked his lover’s cheek to reassure him, but soon became puzzled. There was blood on Yu-jin’s face. He moved his hand and stroked his neck, shoulders, and arms. The bloodstains were gradually spreading.
“Why, there’s blood… It won’t come off. Honey, where are you hurt?”
“You idiot, this is your blood…!”
Yu-jin, who had been sobbing as if he had been barely holding back until now, burst into tears.
“Ah, is that so.”
Yu-jin was crying, but Winston was smiling.
“Thank goodness, it’s not you who’s hurt.”
He barely managed to say that much, but he couldn’t do any more. Only Yu-jin’s voice was faintly heard beyond his consciousness, which was quickly fading away.
“Open your eyes, Winston! Wake up! No…!”
I have to say it’s okay.
Yu-jin is crying. Because of Winston. I can’t, I have to hold Yu-jin and reassure him soon.
…No sound comes out.
He couldn’t move a single finger. As if sinking into an endless swamp, his consciousness faded away in an instant. The last thing he remembered was Yu-jin’s voice desperately calling his name.
* * *It was three months before Winston regained consciousness. At first, the doctor told him he might not be able to walk again. But after a month of rehabilitation, he progressed to a considerably hopeful state. They said he could only move his feet a little for now, but he would soon be able to walk with crutches.
“I’ve heard that extreme alphas have better physical recovery abilities than ordinary people. It’s truly a stroke of luck.”
At the doctor’s words, Winston thought it was the first time he had benefited from his constitution. At least he had avoided the worst-case scenario.
However, he was only disappointed that he had only seen Yu-jin once from the time he woke up until the painful rehabilitation process. The first thing he asked after regaining consciousness was about Yu-jin, but the only answer he received was that he was doing well. Of course, he couldn’t believe those words.
His family, who constantly spoke ill of Yu-jin, would never have taken care of him in Winston’s absence.
But Yu-jin had visited him only once. Of course, with the other Campbell family members.
“Yu-jin, are you okay?”
“Winnie.”
At his first words, Yu-jin burst into tears and took his hand to his cheek.
“I’m okay. You’re the one who’s hurt… Does it hurt a lot?”
“I’m okay too.”
“Okay? You almost died!”
His mother, who had been watching, interrupted him, displeased.
“We almost lost you forever. Do you know how much you were bleeding? You couldn’t even open your eyes for the past three months, and you say you’re okay?”
Seeing Yu-jin shrink back and lower his head, Winston smiled and stroked his cheek.
“I’ll get up soon. Is anything difficult?”
In fact, his whole body still ached and was painful. But he couldn’t worry Yu-jin. Winston asked as casually as possible. Yu-jin hesitated and nodded.
“Yes, everything is fine. …The Campbell family is taking good care of me.”
“…Is that so?”
He couldn’t believe all of those words, but there was nothing Winston could do right now. Instead, he said to his family.
“Please take good care of Yu-jin, Mother.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to get up and do it yourself? That way, you and he will both be at ease.”
His mother replied in her usual indifferent tone, but she was right. Winston was relieved that she wasn’t being fake.
“Then let’s all go now. Visiting hours shouldn’t be too long, Winston needs to rest.”
That was the end of his meeting with Yu-jin. He thought he would be able to see him again soon, but he didn’t appear even when Winston was practicing getting up and walking. During that time, Winston fought endless pain and endured each day with medication. The pain in his back tormented him relentlessly. It was so painful that he felt like his whole body was constantly splitting apart. Whenever he thought it would have been better to die back then, he thought of Yu-jin. He was the only one who could protect him.
And finally, Winston reached the stage of using crutches. Without seeing Yu-jin.