By Zephyria Director Lee had arrived just as Choi Won-joon came out of the shower. He had brought a change of clothes in a suitcase for the morning, and had laid out the matching watch, tie, and other necessities on the table in advance.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Director Lee stared intently at the scratch on Won-joon’s face. After the incident yesterday, Choi Won-joon had contacted Director Lee and instructed him to inform his parents and Hyungs. He later heard through another secretary that there had been a commotion in front of the hospital.
“The Chairman is very angry.”
“I know. The old man came at me, yelling and screaming like crazy. Then Mom subdued him in one go and dragged him out. You should have seen it.”
While Director Lee had his back turned, Won-joon changed his clothes. After getting dressed, he chose a tie, put it on, and fastened a watch on his wrist. Then, he stared blankly at the box of drinks on the table.
Kim Yi-eum had watched Won-joon fall asleep last night before leaving. Although he had his eyes closed, he could feel the footsteps moving, the occasional sighs, and the gaze staring intently.
Choi Won-joon took out the drink Kim Yi-eum had bought from the box and handed it to Director Lee.
“Drink it. It’s precious.”
“Thank you.”
“Ji-hoon.”
“Yes?”
“Is the day to deal with Kim Ji-cheol in two days?”
“That’s correct.”
“Cancel it.”
When Director Lee looked puzzled, Won-joon picked up a drink and twisted the cap open with a click. He smelled it first, tasted it slightly, and smiled brightly after taking a sip.
“I’ve come up with a brilliant way to use that bastard.”
Then, he downed the rest of the drink and put the empty bottle back in the box instead of the trash can. His eyes sparkled with delight as he plotted, but Director Lee didn’t ask any further questions. He just thought that he only needed to do as he was told.
❖ ❖ ❖
Time seemed to have stopped, and the air hung heavy. After contacting Team Leader Oh to say he would be late, Lee-eum sat down his family, except for his mother, and told them the whole truth. When he revealed the inside story of how he became entangled with Choi Won-joon, everyone was speechless.
“Malk-eum. What did that guy say?”
“You heard it too. He said I developed as an Omega…”
“Wow, is this a bolt from the blue?”
His Noona was calmer than expected, and his Hyung only let out a hollow laugh with an incredulous expression. In the meantime, his father suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“Tell me honestly. Are you lying to your father to meet that bastard?”
His Noona burst out in anger.
“Father! Please don’t get excited and think rationally.”
“Rationally? How can you say that after seeing his mother making a fuss yesterday as if they were going to marry the two of them off?”
His Noona sighed quietly.
“Just saying, if Lee-eum is an Omega instead of a Beta, isn’t it possible for him to meet an Alpha?”
This time, his Hyung was disgusted.
“Noona, that’s not right. Why are you thinking of getting him involved with that bastard?”
“I’m not saying we should marry them off right now. I’m saying we should be realistic. Aren’t you thinking about the pain your younger brother has been through? If I had known that Choi Won-joon would be helpful, I wouldn’t have pushed him like I did yesterday.”
Kim Mid-eum couldn’t argue and backed down a little.
“No, still, you should have told us sooner…”
“Look at the reaction. Would you want to say it if you were him?”
Malk-eum snapped and looked at his father. His father was very angry and had a complicated look on his face. Lee-eum’s head was gradually lowered like a sinner.
“I’m sorry, Father. For telling you so late… And I’ve broken up with Choi Won-joon. I won’t be seeing him again.”
The three were silent, and Lee-eum continued to speak.
“I’m going to tell the Chief of Police today too. I’m going to accept it if a disciplinary committee is convened.”
“Hey, then your promotion,”
Before Mid-eum could finish speaking, Malk-eum hit him to stop.
“Do it if that’s what will make you feel better. What does it matter if your promotion is a few years late? Your peace of mind is the most important thing.”
It was unexpected. He had thought that his Noona would be greatly disappointed because she often expressed her desire for promotion. Kim Malk-eum got up from her seat, came to Lee-eum’s side, hugged him tightly, and patted him on the back. Lee-eum’s nose tingled at the unexpected action.
“You’ve worked hard… Don’t suffer alone from now on. That’s what family is for.”
Her tone was firm, but her Noona’s voice was watery. Kim Malk-eum looked at Kim Mid-eum, who was sitting across from her, and gestured for him to join in. Kim Mid-eum shook his head, saying he didn’t want to, so she glared at him as if to kill him. Kim Mid-eum reluctantly approached and awkwardly opened his arms to hug the two of them, muttering.
“Honestly, I don’t really care if you’re an Omega. But, I don’t like you getting involved with Choi Won-joon. Just keep that in mind.”
Is that what’s important now? Kim Malk-eum ended up hitting Kim Mid-eum on the head. Amidst their bickering, Lee-eum unknowingly burst into a relieved smile. However, he couldn’t help but stiffen his expression when he met his father’s eyes across from him.
Lee-eum parked his car in front of the police station and sat there for a long time. His father went down to the countryside, and his mother called him in the middle, having heard the news. Instead of scolding him, his mother only sobbed quietly. She only repeated how hard it must have been for him and that she was sorry she didn’t know.
Lee-eum took a deep breath, got out of the car, and headed to the office. Team Leader Oh wasn’t at his desk, so he asked Nam-soo, who said that he had been called to the Chief’s office as soon as he came in. Nam-soo pulled a chair to the side and quietly lowered his voice.
“I’ve decided to meet him again.”
“Huh?”
“It seems like tearing up the amulet worked. Sunbae, you should throw it away too.”
Then he went back to his seat. No wonder his face brightened up overnight. He must be so happy. Nam-soo was beaming as he held his cell phone, and Lee-eum stared at him blankly before recalling the amulet he had put in his wallet. I guess I don’t need it anymore. He quietly took the amulet out of his wallet and threw it in the trash can when Team Leader Oh came in. Lee-eum got up from his seat and approached Team Leader Oh.
“Team leader, I have something to tell you. I was wondering if we could talk separately in the conference room for a moment.”
“Sure.” Team Leader Oh readily agreed without asking why and headed to the conference room. After closing the conference room door and even lowering the blinds, Team Leader Oh made two cups of instant coffee, one for Lee-eum and one for himself.
Lee-eum stared blankly at the steaming disposable coffee cup.
“What is it? It’s serious, making me nervous.”
“Team leader. Actually, I’m…”
Lee-eum swallowed hard. It was hard to open his mouth.
“You’re an Omega, right.”
Lee-eum was speechless at the unexpected words. Before he could ask how he knew, Team Leader Oh took a sip of his coffee and frowned, saying it was hot.
“Am I going to have to hear that from the Chief of Police, you bastard.”
Lee-eum was so surprised that he even stuttered.
“H-How does the Chief know?”
Team Leader Oh didn’t answer, but Lee-eum could tell. His father must have called. Even though he had retired and was farming in the countryside, many people in the upper echelons were still connected to his father.
“Anyway, the test results came back as Beta, right.”
“But…”
“Actually, I’ve seen a case like yours when I was a rookie. It was a Sunbae from a long time ago, and he eventually went to court and won the case.”
Lee-eum knew the story too. After the initial development, he had searched for articles to see if there were any similar cases.
“I’m not telling you to sue. I’m saying there’s no need to say it. I’d be worried if your partner was an Alpha, but Nam-soo is a Beta. Most of the violent crime detectives are.”
“Did my father silence them…?”
“You brat. Silencing? The Chief of Police wants to quietly move on. There’s no point in it being known, right? When he asked for my opinion, I said I agreed. What would the atmosphere be like if reporters came and stirred things up? And there’s a promotion review coming up soon, and we can switch you to an internal affairs position, so don’t worry in advance.”
“Team leader…”
“What is it now.”
“Were you like this back then too?”
“What do you mean.”
“The Sunbae you worked with… When that person revealed that he was an Omega, I’m curious if everyone said it was okay, that he could hide it…”
“Are you uncomfortable because you feel like you’re getting special treatment?”
“……”
“That Sunbae, well… it was hard for him. He fought alone, and even though he won the case, he couldn’t stand the glares of the people and had to quit. I thought it was unfair, but I couldn’t stand up for him because I was afraid of being targeted by those above. You know that I’m good at avoiding dangerous things.”
Lee-eum couldn’t say anything at Team Leader Oh’s jest.
“If you ask if it’s special treatment, yes, it is. But if you were a lacking guy, neither the Chief nor I would do this. You’re good at your job, smart, and full of passion, so it’s a waste. Plus, you’re unlucky enough to be handsome.”
“Hey, I’m getting annoyed as I talk.” The team leader drank the rest of his coffee and laughed.
“These days, parents are also a spec. So enjoy it.”
Lee-eum knew that Team Leader Oh had grown up difficultly under his grandparents without parents. Even though he knew it wasn’t mockery, shame and embarrassment washed over him. Knowing or not knowing his feelings, Team Leader Oh got up from his seat and patted Lee-eum on the shoulder as he left.
“Stop being melodramatic and come out quickly. There’s a mountain of work to do.”
The team leader grumbled about when they were going to replenish the manpower, and the door opened and closed, leaving Lee-eum alone, and strangely, Choi Won-joon came to mind. Would he have brushed this situation off? Would he have been glib and brazen and made a big noise? Tears welled up, and Lee-eum scrubbed his face in frustration.
“Ugh, annoying. Why does that guy’s face have to come to mind…”