By Zephyria 
“Why are you alone?”
“Ah, I overslept.”
“You probably fought with Yeong-min.”
Shin-woo, who knew the twins better than anyone after their parents, knew they had fought as soon as he saw Jeong-min’s face. Though not obvious, the slightly flushed cheek was a mark of being hit.
Shin-woo moved his hand from Jeong-min’s hair to stroke his cheek. Jeong-min was startled by the warmth of the large hand, but he didn’t move. He didn’t say anything. He was only afraid that Shin-woo’s hand would leave.
“It won’t swell up. You’re bigger than him now, so why are you still getting beaten around?”
“He’s… my brother. I have nowhere else to hit…”
“…That’s true.”
Shin-woo shrugged and sighed.
“Don’t you need an ice pack?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
Jeong-min smiled and subtly linked arms with Shin-woo. Since this was a common occurrence, Shin-woo seemed unfazed, so Jeong-min gathered his courage and pressed closer. He also lightly leaned his head on Shin-woo’s shoulder. It was warm and nice. His heart went thump, thump, thump.
“But why are you here, hyung? Where’s your car?”
Shin-woo had gotten his driver’s license as soon as he turned twenty, and his father had bought him a car as a gift as if he had been waiting for it. A cool foreign car that suited him perfectly.
“Today is car maintenance day.”
“Then you could have taken any car at home or called a driver?”
“I just wanted to walk a bit.”
“Is something going on?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry.”
Once again, Shin-woo ruffled Jeong-min’s hair. It felt so good. He thought it would be nice to just stay like this without going to school. However, because the bus arrived soon, he couldn’t say such extravagant things.
“The bus to school is here. You should go.”
I don’t want to. I want to be with Shin-woo hyung. It would be great if we could just stay like this.
“Hyung, should I go to the same school as you? No, the same department.”
“What?”
“I’m good at studying. I think I can make it.”
Shin-woo laughed at Jeong-min’s confident voice.
“It would be hard for Yeong-min, but for you, it’s possible. But isn’t there something you actually want to do?”
“There isn’t. You know. I don’t have a future dream.”
The bus passed by without taking anyone. It was fine. The bus would come again anyway, and it wasn’t a time where taking it would make him late.
Shin-woo listened quietly to Jeong-min’s story. If it had been any other topic, he probably would have told him to go to school immediately, but since it was about the future, he listened seriously. Jeong-min thought to himself that he really was a reliable and kind person.
“Like you said, they say there’s a shortage of people in pediatrics… and if I become a doctor, my parents will be happy. Ah! And later, I could open a clinic with you, hyung. You be the director! And I’ll be the staff doctor!”
“Instead of you opening it?”
“Aw, I can’t do such tedious work. You do it all. All of it! Just take me with you. Okay?”
“Sure, that sounds good too.”
At Shin-woo’s smile, Jeong-min felt like he could actually fly. The bus came again, and this time Shin-woo forced Jeong-min to stand up. As he boarded the bus with Shin-woo seeing him off, Jeong-min waved his hand.
As soon as he arrived at school, he told his teacher that he wanted to go to Korea University College of Medicine. The teacher welcomed the news, and his parents, who heard the news that evening, could not hide their joy. Yeong-min had a pouty face, but it didn’t matter. Jeong-min’s heart was already dreaming of entering the medical school where Shin-woo was and strolling around the campus with him.
Jeong-min easily got accepted into medical school. Since he had always studied well and managed himself, his GPA was not an issue, and because he had a goal, he ran forward without looking back, allowing him to get accepted through early admission.
As soon as he heard the news of his acceptance, Jeong-min ran to Shin-woo. Shin-woo was also overjoyed and bought Jeong-min a meal. It was the first time. The first time the two of them ate together. He finally felt as if he had become equal to Shin-woo.
“This place is delicious.”
The place Shin-woo took him to was a meat restaurant near the university district. Jeong-min looked around the shop with curiosity. The place was filled with people in a thick haze of smoke.
“It must look novel to you. I’m sorry. I should have taken you somewhere better.”
“Ah, no. Hyung. I like it.”
Really. If it was just the two of them, he would have eaten trash if told to.
Shin-woo grilled the pork belly himself and placed pieces on Jeong-min’s plate one by one. Perhaps because Shin-woo grilled it, the meat felt like it was melting in his mouth.
“Your parents are happy, right?”
“Of course.”
“What about Yeong-min?”
“He’s not interested.”
It was true. And in fact, Jeong-min hadn’t seen Yeong-min much lately. That was because Jeong-min was busy studying, and Yeong-min didn’t come home often.
“Does he have no intention of going to college?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re the hyung, you shouldn’t not know.”
“That guy doesn’t think of me as a hyung, so what…”
Is it okay if Yeong-min doesn’t tell me… Jeong-min muttered inwardly and ate another piece of meat. Then, Shin-woo placed a new piece of meat in the empty spot, and his mood quickly improved again.
“Tell Yeong-min to stop playing around so much.”
“Huh?”
Wondering what he suddenly meant, Jeong-min looked at Shin-woo.
“What do you mean?”
Could it be that he knows Yeong-min is going around meeting any Alpha? No, he probably knows. But since he hadn’t said anything, Jeong-min thought he had given up to some extent, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Shin-woo’s expression was bitter.
“I saw that kid downtown a while ago. He was with some Alpha… He was different from the Alpha I saw a month ago. Or was he different from the one I saw two weeks ago?”
Shin-woo clenched his fist as if he wanted to drink, then quickly gulped down a glass of water. The one who wanted to drink was actually Jeong-min. He said he saw him downtown, but Shin-woo had probably been lingering around Yeong-min. Indeed, the Alphas Yeong-min met a month ago, two weeks ago, and recently had kept changing.
“Tell him not to play around too much… there are still many good days ahead, why is he so anxious that he’s dating so many times…? Even you, the hyung, haven’t done it yet.”
“Don’t lump me in with that kid.”
“Haha.”
When Jeong-min glared, Shin-woo laughed, drank another glass of water, and started grilling meat.
Why is he suddenly bringing this up? This isn’t the place for such a conversation. This is a place for hyung and me.
“Yeong-min said he’d get married as soon as he graduates. That he’s looking for a good Alpha…”
Shin-woo’s hand, which was grilling the meat, stopped.
“…I see.”
Shin-woo’s face darkened. However, after a few seconds, he smiled slightly and shook his head.
“If that kid just stays still, your father will introduce a good Alpha and make sure he can get married, so why is he like that?”
“…Someone like you, hyung?”
“No.”
A firm answer.
“I’m not a ‘good’ Alpha. I’m an Alpha who doesn’t suit Yeong-min. That kid will be able to meet an Alpha much better than me and live. He must.”
“Hyung, why do you talk like that? Do you know how amazing you are! I’ve never seen an Alpha cooler than you! You’re smart! You’re handsome! Your personality is perfect! How can you say that? In my eyes, you’re too good for Yeong-min!”
He was so angry that he spoke his true feelings. As Jeong-min huffed, he replayed what he had said in his head and quickly covered his mouth. His face flushed hot. Shin-woo looked at Jeong-min with surprised eyes and then scratched the bridge of his nose with an embarrassed face.
“You’ve all grown up, Jeong-min. You even know how to flatter.”
It’s not flattery… it’s the truth…
“Thanks. Since you say that, my pride as an Alpha is somewhat restored.”
“Hyung… don’t say things like that. If I… if I were an Omega, I would have… I would have tried to marry you, hyung. There’s no Omega who dislikes you.”
Once the faucet was broken, it poured out the truths that had been locked away until now. Even though it was a confession, he wondered if he would recognize it as one… or rather, if he wouldn’t…
He had such complicated feelings, but since the water had already spilled, he felt a sense of ‘come what may.’
Did he know how much courage it took to say this? Shin-woo listened seriously to what Jeong-min was saying.
“Jeong-min, you…”
Shin-woo lowered his head slightly, avoided his gaze, and muttered.
You…? He waited for the words that followed.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. But he would have to be satisfied with that. For now… while he hadn’t awakened yet, he would be satisfied with this.
“Right? So be nice to me.”
Jeong-min spoke with deliberate exaggeration. At that, Shin-woo laughed.
“Alright, alright, this hyung will be nice to you. I’m buying the meat today!”
“Well, obviously!”
As Jeong-min shouted back instinctively, Shin-woo stroked his hair, telling him to calm down.
Yes. For now, this is enough to satisfy me.