By Zephyria 
As soon as Joo Min-hyeok gave me permission to leave, I hurried out of the palace. Forget the convenience store; I dragged Hyun-wook along to the gym where Seo-joo was. I had to see Seo-joo’s face, even if just for a moment. It would be fine as long as I watched from a distance, right?
My heart raced at the thought of seeing him; I couldn’t remember how long it had been. It had felt terrible that I couldn’t see him even after finding him. I had kept up with his status through Hyun-wook from time to time. I heard his cold was completely gone and he was attending his workouts regularly.
And he still had no memories. I was still absent from his mind. It seemed Seo-joo simply wouldn’t remember me. But in a way, wasn’t this for the best? That he had no memories. There was no guarantee that we were the only ones who had reincarnated among so many people.
If that were the case, would they all possess memories of their past lives? Probably not. Hyun-wook and I were likely just special cases; not many people would retain such memories. Perhaps not having memories of a past life allows one to live a life more faithful to the present.
If one were to obsess over old memories and ties to the point of being unable to focus on their current life, it would be better not to remember. Still, I couldn’t help the lingering longing. I wished he would remember me for just one single moment. Even if he forgot immediately after…
If I waited and he ultimately didn’t remember, I could just start over with the current Seo-joo. Though we weren’t brothers anymore, if we stayed friends, we could be together for the rest of our lives. If I saw him today, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to leave until Joo Min-hyeok returned from the States. Should I sneak a photo today? It would look natural if I took a picture of him sparring with Hyun-wook.
Entering the gym with Hyun-wook, I looked around, searching for Seo-joo. He was the type of person who stood out wherever he went, so I should have found him quickly, but where was he?
“Oh? It’s been a while.”
The voice I had missed so much suddenly sounded from behind me, making my shoulders flinch. It—it was Seo-joo. Seo-joo greeted me, saying it had been a while. I guess he recognized me from the few times he’d seen me coming and going? I slowly turned around toward the sound of his voice. There stood our Seo-joo, carrying two rolled-up mats, one balanced on each shoulder. My goodness, he was carrying two of those heavy mats.
“Ah, hello. Aren’t they heavy?”
“These? Heavy? No, they’re fine. Go on in. You came with Hyun-wook?”
“I came to loosen up a bit. Hyung, want to spar with me?”
“Sure.”
Seo-joo seemed to make a strange expression as he looked at Hyun-wook and me standing blankly beside him, then he headed inside. I felt it every time I saw him, but his aura was strangely cold. It was a different kind of coldness than Joo Min-hyeok’s, who always smiled while pretending to be warm.
A small smile appeared on his face when Hyun-wook asked to spar, but still, just seeing him like this was enough. I sat in a safe spot provided by Hyun-wook and stared openly at Seo-joo.
Hyun-wook had a good build for a Beta, but standing next to an Alpha like Seo-joo, he looked a bit small. Seo-joo seemed slightly smaller than Joo Min-hyeok, so just how big was Joo Min-hyeok?
I keep telling myself he’s not human… That’s why I suffer so much every night. Ahem. I shouldn’t be thinking this in front of my younger brother, so I quickly cleared my head and watched the two of them.
As expected, Hyun-wook, the professional, seemed to be going easy on Seo-joo, but Seo-joo’s movements were quite impressive. As they sparred, the other people working out nearby cheered them on.
It was heart-warming to see Seo-joo, who had said his wish was to play soccer with Hyun-wook, sparring with him. With my mouth agape, I watched them for a long time.
∗ ∗ ∗
“…That person fell asleep?”
“What?”
Seo-joo, who had been working out with Hyun-wook, losing track of time, noticed Hae-joo behind them and informed Hyun-wook. At some point, Hae-joo had fallen asleep with his head leaning against the wall. Startled, Hyun-wook rushed over to Hae-joo to check if he was feeling unwell. Hae-joo had a weak constitution and would cough even if a slight breeze blew.
The overall temperature here was a bit low because of the people exercising. He might have been cold. Hyun-wook imagined the face of the Emperor nagging him with a terrifying smile. Damn it, no. If I brought him out and he got sick, the Emperor’s rage button would be pressed again.
“Thank goodness. He just fell asleep.”
Fortunately, Hae-joo had simply drifted off while watching them. He had no fever and his breathing was steady. Hyun-wook quickly went into the office, grabbed a blanket, and covered Hae-joo’s body. I should wake him up in a little bit. He was so excited to come see Seo-joo, and yet he fell asleep.
“You take care of him quite delicately.”
“Yeah. Well, haha.”
Because I don’t want to be executed.
“Are you two very close? The person you always bring as a friend is him. By the way, which family is that Omega from?”
Watching Hae-joo quietly, Seo-joo asked cautiously while wiping the sweat from his forehead. Curiosity was evident in his expression. Seo-joo didn’t use social media and rarely browsed the internet, so until recently, he hadn’t seen the photos of Hae-joo circulating online.
Thus, he was currently unaware of who Hae-joo was. He had been indifferent to the Imperial family and the internet, but since he was showing interest in Hae-joo, Hyun-wook gave him a quick answer.
“He’s my closest friend, but even if I told you his family, you probably wouldn’t know.”
“I wouldn’t know even if you told me? You wouldn’t just hang out with anyone.”
Seo-joo tilted his head, thinking of Hyun-wook’s family. Hyun-wook’s family was so wealthy that it was actually harder for him to encounter ordinary people. The same went for Seo-joo. Since the people they associated with were of a similar social standing, they could usually guess which family someone belonged to just by hearing the name.
But he wouldn’t know even if told? Looking at him, he practically oozed luxury; he didn’t look ordinary at all. Was it a family that shouldn’t be mentioned? Despite Seo-joo’s questioning, Hyun-wook only laughed and brushed it off.
“I just found it strange that he follows you here and sits like that when he can’t even exercise.”
“He just said he wanted to watch, so I brought him.”
He came to see you. Those words caught in Hyun-wook’s throat. To see you. Hae-joo came to see you, Seo-joo. But those were words he could never say. Seo-joo was currently asking about Hae-joo with a strange edge to his voice.
Hyun-wook wondered what had bothered him to make him react so sensitively. Meanwhile, Seo-joo was annoyed by how Hyun-wook kept slyly dodging his questions.
“I’m saying this because there’s something I feel every time he comes.”
“Like what?”
“That guy. Does he happen to be interested in me? Every time he looks at me, his eyes…”
“What? Absolutely not, so don’t say such nonsense! He couldn’t be, and if he were, it would be a real disaster.”
Hyun-wook raised his voice and cut him off hurriedly at Seo-joo’s absurd guess. Of course there was interest, but not that kind of interest. There’s a limit to how messed up a family tree can get. Hyun-wook frowned in disbelief. But wait, was it something Seo-joo could misunderstand? It was obvious to anyone that Hae-joo hadn’t come to exercise.
Every time he came, he couldn’t take his eyes off Seo-joo and showed his affection. Though he didn’t say it in words, his eyes followed him all day long, enough for Seo-joo to feel it. And above all, Hae-joo was clearly an Omega, and Seo-joo was an Alpha. It was a natural mistake for an Alpha to make.
If a pretty Omega who can’t even exercise comes and can’t take his eyes off him every time, what would that Alpha think? Does that Omega have an interest in me? It was easy to misunderstand. Especially given the look in Hae-joo’s eyes as he watched Seo-joo now.
Seeing the younger brother he had missed looking so healthy before his eyes, he must have been proud and wanted to keep him in his sight, unable to hide his affection. Thus, Seo-joo mistook it for the common interest an Omega shows an Alpha. It was complicated, so complicated.
“That’s absolutely not it. If that made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not? I thought you were trying to set me up with him.”
“What… that’s not it either. Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t know you’d think that.”
Set him up with who? I have enough on my own plate. Hyun-wook secretly liked that the fundamentally cold Seo-joo only showed interest in him. It was heartbreaking enough to only be able to watch from afar because he couldn’t approach; connecting him to someone else was…
“If not, then that’s a relief. So the two of you aren’t in that kind of relationship?”
“…That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Did you forget? I’m a Beta. Why would an Omega like a Beta?”
“They could. There are so many Omega-Beta couples these days. Plenty of Beta-Alpha couples too. So, you two aren’t in that kind of relationship?”
“I said we aren’t! We’re just friends. We’re like real family, so hearing that makes my stomach turn and makes me want to vomit.”
Sincerity seeped through Hyun-wook’s plain, unexaggerated tone. A smile spread across Seo-joo’s lips upon hearing those words.
“…That’s a relief.”
“What?”
“I said it’s a relief. That you two are nothing. It was really bothering me.”
Seo-joo smiled, unable to take his eyes off Hyun-wook as he admitted it had been on his mind. As soon as Seo-joo finished speaking, Hyun-wook’s heart sank. Why would he say such a thing? Even without his memories, perhaps Seo-joo still… Hyun-wook couldn’t hide his flushing face as he looked at Seo-joo’s fingertips gripping the tie of his dobok.
“Hyun-wook!”
Just then, Hae-joo’s startled voice rang out. Hyun-wook and Seo-joo, surrounded by an awkward tension, turned their heads simultaneously. Hae-joo, who had woken up at some point, was flustered.
“I—I have to go now. My time is up. I came after so long but I fell asleep. I’m so upset.”
Hae-joo called out to Hyun-wook with a face full of sorrow. And Hyun-wook, failing to take the hand Seo-joo had extended, ran toward Hae-joo. Seo-joo could only watch the two of them, feeling resentful that Hyun-wook had gone to Hae-joo without a moment’s hesitation.
“…He’s not Cinderella, so what does he mean ‘his time is up’? He slept his fill and now he’s upset.”
As Hyun-wook approached him as if he would do anything for him, Seo-joo’s heart ached. That Omega is always first. Yet, for some reason, Seo-joo didn’t hate that Omega. It was truly a strange emotion. Far from hating him, he kept weighing on his mind.