By Zephyria 
(Finale)
“You’re going home, right?”
“Yeah.”
They naturally had dinner together, and Jeong-min got into the car driven by Kim Ju-hwan. The interior of the car was peaceful as it sped toward a destination that felt obvious.
“What are you going to do about your house?”
In truth, Jeong-min’s biggest concern was the house he was currently living in. Since Yu Shin-woo wouldn’t be coming home for the time being, they wouldn’t run into each other, but he still wanted to clear out that house. There was no longer any reason to stay there. However, that didn’t mean he wanted to move back into his parents’ home. While spending time with his parents was nice and living at home was more convenient in many ways, he believed a person should be independent and get used to living alone.
“Actually, the realtor contacted me earlier. I’ve put the house on the market. They said they’d look for properties.”
“Are you buying?”
“Since I’ll be returning to the hospital anyway, I’m thinking of buying an apartment nearby.”
“Aha…”
Why is this guy reacting like this again?
“What? What now?”
When Jeong-min asked as if wondering what he was dissatisfied with now, Kim Ju-hwan clicked his tongue.
“I can’t hide it from you anymore, Sunbae.”
“You’re the last person who would ever think of hiding anything.”
“That’s true. Just now, I was asking you to notice.”
“Notice what?”
“Live with me.”
“What?”
“I’ve built a house near the hospital. It’s a residence, five stories in total. I installed an elevator inside, and there are eight rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, and even a screen golf facility. I picked out furniture that fits your taste. I’ve hired a garden manager, a driver, and a housekeeper—all Betas, and all prestigious people famous in this field. So, Sunbae, just bring yourself.”
They say when something is too absurd, you lose your words, and that was exactly how he felt. Jeong-min just opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, unable to say anything as he stared at Kim Ju-hwan. In the meantime, the car passed Jeong-min’s house.
“Hey, what are you doing? My house is over there.”
“That’s not your house anymore, Sunbae.”
The house they arrived at, almost as if he had been kidnapped, was the mansion Kim Ju-hwan had mentioned. No… should it be called a mansion? It was closer to a building… but it had everything… It was a house of such immense size that he wondered if this was even possible within Seoul.
As Kim Ju-hwan led the dazed Jeong-min, who couldn’t yet grasp reality, into the house, it boasted a scale that put Jeong-min’s own family home to shame. Moreover, it was terrifyingly… exactly to Jeong-min’s taste.
After showing him every single corner, the last place Kim Ju-hwan showed him was past a cypress sauna to a place with a masonry bathtub. Jeong-min thought it was a swimming pool.
“It’s spacious, right? Even two Alphas can fit comfortably.”
“Just when… since when did you start this?”
This wasn’t something made in a day or two. This place… had been prepared a very long time ago.
“I don’t know. I started looking for land as soon as I returned to Korea… To be honest, I wasn’t thinking of you then. No, I wasn’t aware of it. I just thought I wanted a home of my own. But as the floors went up, and as I selected and refined the materials, I realized it wasn’t my taste. Without knowing it, I was making it to your taste.”
Kim Ju-hwan laughed self-deprecatingly.
“So I thought. I should live with Sunbae.”
“And my consent?”
“That’s why I brought you here, to get it.”
“Wow, this is highway robbery. My will wasn’t reflected in this at all.”
Kim Ju-hwan smiled and approached Jeong-min. He came so close that their noses almost touched, and as he pushed further, Jeong-min hit the wall. Even then, fearing Jeong-min might get hurt, he gently supported the back of Jeong-min’s head.
“Hey… why are you so close?”
“You don’t hate it. Coming this far, isn’t that consent? If it were anyone else, you could have pushed me away, hit me, or run away… If you really hated it, you would have jumped out of the car.”
“I know my own life is precious.”
“That’s a relief. I cherish you. More than anyone. I cherish you as if the world would disappear if you did. Please.”
He pressed their foreheads together.
“Live with me.”
Kim Ju-hwan was right. If he had truly hated it, he would have run away or knocked him down if necessary. Jeong-min had that kind of strength now. Everything was possible as long as Kim Ju-hwan didn’t suppress him with pheromones. But neither of them did anything. As if waiting for the other to accept them, they simply looked into each other’s eyes.
“I can’t imprint with you.”
Even while pressing foreheads and looking into his eyes… even if you knot me now.
“I can’t have your children.”
Jeong-min lightly brought up a forgotten memory. The spot where a small bird had briefly visited throbbed.
“And I’m an Alpha. I can’t announce it to the world.”
At Jeong-min’s words, Kim Ju-hwan smiled softly.
“I’ve never asked you to become an Omega. Nor do I like you because you’re an Alpha. I just like Shin Jeong-min. You. So, Sunbae, throw everything else away and just look at me. Look only at the person named Kim Ju-hwan and give me an answer.”
“What if I can’t give the answer you want?”
“Then well… just try it.”
Contrary to his confident tone, there was a tremor in his fingertips where they lightly touched. Jeong-min sighed and interlaced his fingers with Kim Ju-hwan’s. Then, he kissed the back of his hand.
“Both you and I are beyond saving. Let’s not release two such hopeless cases into society. Let’s just stay like this, the two of us.”
Kim Ju-hwan hugged Jeong-min with one arm. Then, he continued to rub his forehead against the nape of Jeong-min’s neck, inhaling and exhaling. He seemed to mutter that he finally felt like he could breathe. Their clasped hands were drenched in sweat. He had been more nervous than he let on. Uncharacteristic of him.
“By the way, about what you said—that you can’t announce it to the world because you’re an Alpha—just watch. Within five years, I’ll make this a world where you can announce it.”
It wasn’t an impossible claim. In other countries, the trend of allowing dating and marriage between the same traits was increasing.
“Sure, go ahead. Your parents and my parents are getting older now. Let’s try to surprise them as little as possible. I think that’ll be the last bit of filial piety we can offer.”
“Haha.”
Kim Ju-hwan laughed and gave a quick peck on Jeong-min’s lips before pulling away as if reluctant. Jeong-min grabbed the nape of his neck and kissed him.
“Why are you being so timid? Do whatever you want.”
He opened his mouth and accepted his heat. Lying on the cold bathroom floor where there was nothing yet, they thoroughly explored each other’s bodies for the first time in a long while. Even while seeing each other’s masculine bodies reflected in the moonlight, he thought it was impressive how they could still go into heat, yet it felt comfortable. It was a relief. There was nothing for them to hide from each other, and it seemed there would be nothing in the future. Especially since their relationship had started from each other’s rock bottom—.
✽✽✽
A month and a half had passed since Jeong-min left for volunteering in Kenya. In the meantime, Kim Ju-hwan moved all of Jeong-min’s belongings to the new house and was subtly working on Jeong-min’s parents. Young-min shuddered, calling the behavior loathsome, but on the other hand, he was quietly helping Kim Ju-hwan.
And in the meantime, an Alpha couple who had caused a stir in the world by giving birth to a daughter had arrived; Kim Ju-hwan sent a fruit basket with a congratulatory message and then stood up to finish the final task.
“It’s been a while.”
The man who had been sitting there first was clearly not in a normal physical state due to the aftereffects of drug use. His beard had grown messily, his face was haggard, and he had lost at least 5kg; the sparkling appearance of the past was gone, replaced by a shriveled shell. And that is how he would continue to wither. Kim Ju-hwan would ensure he could never leave this place for the rest of his life.
“I heard I’m being transferred to the Philippines.”
Preferably to a foreign country.
“Rot there for the rest of your life.”
Since he would no longer receive the drugs, if he was unlucky, all that remained was to die lonely in a distant foreign land. Or, he would have to spend all his remaining assets to survive day by day on uncertain drugs.
“…I’ve thought a lot while being here.”
The gentle tone of voice was now completely parched.
“I started thinking… that this was all your design, Kim Ju-hwan. Am I wrong?”
“Sunbae always has a habit of blaming others for his own mistakes.”
“Suddenly, the temptation of drugs came to me.”
“And who was the one who succumbed to that temptation?”
“And there were researchers who leaked news about what Jeong-min was doing.”
“Wow, I’ll have to replace all the researchers. Talking about a patient’s private information like that.”
“Make sure I never have a chance to meet Jeong-min… because if I do, I’ll tell him everything.”
“Who would believe a drug addict? And regardless, I would never kill my own child. That was indeed something you did, Yu Shin-woo. Blinded by jealousy.”
Jealousy… Yu Shin-woo bit his lip at that word.
“I… there’s no way I would do that. I only… hate Jeong-min.”
“Yes, please keep thinking that. For the rest of your life. Never think beyond that. Unless you want your brain to melt away as well.”
Kim Ju-hwan growled low, warning Yu Shin-woo. As he stood up, he patted him on the shoulder.
“Take care.”
Kim Ju-hwan closed the door to the visitation room and stepped out. Yu Shin-woo shouted something from the other side, but it wasn’t audible. It sounded like he was calling Shin Jeong-min’s name, but Kim Ju-hwan lightly ignored it.
He was stupid. Rather, he thought it was a relief that his stupidity was practically the same as helping Kim Ju-hwan. He probably… no, never mind. He felt like he’d go crazy if he thought about it.
Is it better to just kill him after all? Just as he was thinking that, as if by magic, Jeong-min called. Kim Ju-hwan smiled and pressed the call button.
Unable to bear missing Jeong-min any longer, Kim Ju-hwan planned to leave for Kenya tomorrow. He could already envision Jeong-min’s face, cursing and nagging him about what would happen to the company work. He simply wanted to see him as soon as possible.
〈Correction〉 Fin.