By Zephyria 
Only then did Shin-woo smile and stroke Jeong-min’s hair.
‘Ah, hyung stroked my hair for the first time in a long while.’
Jeong-min wanted to applaud himself for not growing any taller. If he had, Shin-woo would never have stroked his hair like this.
“Kim Ju-hwan… I think I’ve heard that name. You’re the son of the Cal Front CEO, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Shin-woo seemed to recall who Ju-hwan was and mentioned his background, to which Ju-hwan nodded.
“You. You’re an Alpha, right?”
While drinking a cup of tea, Shin-woo carefully asked Ju-hwan. Startled by the unexpected question, both Jeong-min and Young-min looked back and forth between Ju-hwan and Shin-woo. Ju-hwan’s lips curled slightly.
“Yes.”
The air suddenly grew heavy at Ju-hwan’s confident, certain, and firm answer. It was Young-min who broke the tension, clinging even closer to Ju-hwan.
“Really? You’re really an Alpha?”
“Yes.”
Young-min spoke excitedly, but Jeong-min was appalled. No, beyond appalled, he was angry.
“Kim Ju-hwan.”
When Jeong-min called his name in a low voice, Kim Ju-hwan’s face momentarily went blank before he put on a soft, pleasant smile. Now that he looked at it, that smile was fake.
“Yes, Sunbae.”
“I thought you said you hadn’t awakened? Didn’t you say the only thing you did was a test with your company’s machine?”
“Huh? Right! He did!”
Young-min looked at Kim Ju-hwan in surprise, as if only now realizing. Ju-hwan scratched his head with a troubled expression.
“Actually, I awakened very early. My parents thought it wouldn’t be good if the world found out, so they told me to hide the fact that I awakened as an Alpha if possible. Since both Sunbaes hadn’t awakened yet, I lied… but as expected, since Shin-woo Sunbae awakened as an Alpha, he knew immediately.”
It’s a lie. A completely ridiculous lie. That guy hid it on purpose. There was no need to ask ‘Why on earth?’. He could tell just by looking at his face. He did it simply for ‘contempt’ and ‘amusement.’ Jeong-min’s mood soured instantly.
He wanted to argue and tell him to stop talking nonsense, but he had lost so much affection for Kim Ju-hwan that he didn’t even want to bother. On the other hand, a strange light flickered in Young-min’s eyes. His liking for Kim Ju-hwan seemed to have skyrocketed as he leaned in even closer to talk.
“Wow—when did you awaken? You can tell us! I won’t tell anyone!”
“I understand. Then I’ll trust you Sunbaes. Please don’t tell my father that I told you. I’ll really get in trouble.”
“I told you not to worry!”
“I awakened in the first year of middle school.”
“Huck—that’s so early! Wow, I’m jealous! That’s amazing.”
“Yes, they said I was the youngest to awaken.”
“That’s crazy. Really.”
Young-min became more physically affectionate with Kim Ju-hwan. He stroked Ju-hwan’s arm, letting out continuous exclamations of wonder.
“To think there are two such rare Alphas here… it’s truly amazing.”
Jeong-min glanced at Shin-woo. Sure enough, the more Young-min clung to Ju-hwan, the darker Shin-woo’s expression became.
“He’s not just a regular Alpha, right?”
Despite this, Shin-woo asked again with a forced smile.
Not just a regular Alpha?
“Yes, he is an Extreme Alpha.”
“No way!! That’s insane!!”
“The Extreme Alpha that makes up only 0.5% of Alphas?!” Young-min shouted. He went wild, saying he finally understood why Ju-hwan seemed to sparkle. However, Jeong-min didn’t care whether Ju-hwan was a Dominant Alpha or a Recessive Alpha. His only concern was Shin-woo.
Over the past few days, because he hadn’t awakened yet, Jeong-min had been reading books about Alphas and Omegas, and he had learned something. Extreme Alphas were as powerful as they were rare. In the world of Alphas, they were the dominant caste. It was written that even other Alphas would feel an inferiority complex and bow their heads before an Extreme Alpha, sensing an untouchable strength.
Omegas were said to be intensely attracted to Extreme Alphas, while Recessive and common Alphas felt an intense sense of defeat. Was Shin-woo feeling that now? Jeong-min worried about him.
“Ah, Shin-woo hyung. Could you help me with a math problem I got wrong?”
Jeong-min grabbed Shin-woo’s arm and spoke with a bright smile.
“Shin Jeong-min, do you really have to talk about that at a time like this?”
Young-min spoke with a look of disgust.
“Young-min, stay out of this. My exams are important right now. Shin-woo hyung thinks so too, right? Right? Shin-woo hyung!”
Jeong-min kept pestering him, holding onto his arm. He wanted to tell him, Please don’t look over there. Look at me.
On the other hand, he felt someone’s gaze for some reason. Glancing sideways, he saw Kim Ju-hwan looking at him.
‘What? Why is he staring? How annoying.’
Jeong-min ignored that gaze and looked only at Shin-woo.
“Shin-woo hyung! Please? Help me with math. I really don’t know why I got this wrong.”
“How did you get it wrong that you’re like this?”
Only then did Shin-woo look at him. Jeong-min felt relieved inwardly.
“I’m asking you because I don’t know.”
“Alright, let me see.”
Shin-woo finally stood up. Even as he walked toward the room, Shin-woo kept glancing back at Young-min. Every time he did, Jeong-min pulled him closer.
‘Hyung, don’t look at Young-min. Look at me. Look at me, hyung.’
Jeong-min gripped Shin-woo’s arm tightly, hoping that Shin-woo would hold his hand back.
✽✽✽
The awakening fever did not come even after the first semester of the second year passed. By this point, not only Jeong-min and Young-min, but their family was starting to worry about the twins. Their mother suggested they get a check-up to see if there was perhaps a problem, though she hoped there wasn’t.
Jeong-min was horrified, but Young-min, who had been wanting this, said he would do it. Consequently, Jeong-min had no choice but to follow. It was the misfortune of being a twin.
After completing various tests and missing school, the attending physician carefully reviewed the charts and stated that there were no particular abnormalities.
“It seems you’re just a bit late. Your bodies are very healthy.”
At the doctor’s words, the twins and their parents were relieved. Young-min asked, “Is it over now?” and dashed out, saying he had an appointment, and the parents also returned to their work. On the other hand, Jeong-min pretended to leave but returned to the doctor and asked cautiously.
“Excuse me… Doctor.”
“Yes, Jeong-min.”
“Is there… any way to know in advance whether I’ll become an Omega or an Alpha?”
Because the machine Kim Ju-hwan mentioned might have been commercialized.
He didn’t have a shred of doubt that he would become an Omega. However, he couldn’t help but consider the worst-case scenario. Until the day he became an Omega, this worst-case scenario would remain as anxiety in a deep corner of his heart.
“Hmm. Currently, there is no way to know.”
“I see.”
“Don’t worry. Whether you are an Alpha or an Omega, you are still you, Jeong-min.”
To anyone else, those words would have been comforting. But not to Jeong-min. To him, only being an Omega mattered. If he wasn’t an Omega, he was useless.
Jeong-min thanked the doctor and left the hospital. He could have gone home, but he didn’t want to. Since lunch break had just started at school, he told his mother and headed there. He could only soothe his restless heart through studying.
When he arrived at school, lunch break was still in full swing. Wanting to see Shin-woo, he peeked into Shin-woo’s classroom, and Shin-woo, who was chatting with friends, saw Jeong-min and came out into the hallway.
“I thought you were resting today?”
“Yeah, but I just came anyway.”
“Diligent kid.”
Shin-woo ruffled Jeong-min’s hair messily. Although Jeong-min told him to stop, he didn’t push the hand away because he didn’t dislike the touch.
“But where’s Young-min?”
He always has to ask… always.
“Young-min said he’d just skip school.”
“You’re twins, so how can you be so different?”
I know. That’s why I’m sometimes jealous of Young-min. I’m jealous of Young-min, who receives hyung’s love and attention. If I had stayed the same as Young-min, would hyung have looked at me?
“There are 10 minutes left of lunch. Got time for a can of cola?”
“Of course.”
“Alright. I’ll buy.”
Jeong-min was truly happy to be alone with Shin-woo for the first time in a while. He got two cans of cola from the snack shop and went up to the rooftop, enjoying the quiet time while looking at the sky.
“Why did you go to the hospital?”
“Uh… we haven’t awakened yet. I think Mom and Dad were worried. So I got a detailed check-up.”
“Really? Nothing wrong, right?”
“Yeah, they said I’m very healthy. That I’ll awaken soon.”
“Haha. To think you guys are awakening. I am curious.”
“What? You sound exactly like Dad. You’re only one year older than us.”
“True… we’re only a year apart, so why do you guys feel so young?”
Since Shin-woo was talking like an old soul, Jeong-min gave his shoulder a light smack and drank the cola. The crisp sensation flowed down his throat, clearing his stifled heart even just a little.