By Zephyria 
Rustle—
He opened his eyes at the feeling of something tickling his forehead to find someone sitting beside the bed. He couldn’t recognize the silhouette immediately, but the faint scent of musk told Jeong-min instantly who the unwelcome guest sitting on his bed without permission was.
“Why are you here….”
Perhaps because he had slept without even drinking water, his throat was completely parched, and his voice didn’t come out properly.
“Are you awake?”
A cool finger touched Jeong-min’s forehead.
“No fever.”
“…I asked why you are here.”
“Because you didn’t answer your phone.”
Come to think of it, he remembered turning off the power because the phone rang too much while he was sleeping. He had felt relieved because he had contacted Shin-woo in advance, but he had forgotten about Kim Ju-hwan.
“How did you know I was home?”
“It’s obvious where a Sunbae would go. Still, just in case, I asked Young-min Sunbae.”
Truly a blood relative of no help in life. Jeong-min sighed and curled himself up in the blanket.
“Sunbae, where does it hurt? Do you not need to go to the hospital?”
“I’m fine…. I’m just a bit lethargic. Now, just leave.”
“Is there any problem with moving around?”
“I said I’m fine…. I went to the bathroom just fine a while ago.”
“That’s a shame. I was going to carry you if you couldn’t go to the bathroom.”
“Hey.”
Jeong-min turned around to say something to Kim Ju-hwan but stopped. The moment their eyes met, Kim Ju-hwan wore a displeasing smile.
“You’re finally looking at me.”
“Just….”
Just as he was about to tell him to please leave, something was popped into Jeong-min’s mouth. It tasted bitter. Before he could ask what it was, it melted away, leaving a chilling sensation down to his esophagus.
“I hastily manufactured a drug. There won’t be any side effects, so don’t worry.”
Then, Kim Ju-hwan licked his own finger—the one that had been in Jeong-min’s mouth—right in front of him. He then took a pill bottle out of his pocket and set it down.
“Just take one pill a day.”
Was the drug working? He felt the lethargy gradually disappearing. Jeong-min blinked and slowly pushed himself up to sit. Thanks to that, he could face Kim Ju-hwan.
“How is it? Are you dizzy?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“Hmm….”
“What?”
“Did you talk with Shin-woo Sunbae?”
“I did.”
“To what extent?”
“Do I have to tell you?”
“That way I won’t make a mistake, right?”
“What mistake?”
“A mistake like saying you’re sleeping with me to become an Omega…. I might accidentally say it.”
“Haa… I told him. But I didn’t tell him I slept with you.”
“That’s it?”
“Nothing. Nothing more than that.”
“Yu Shin-woo Sunbae just accepted it?”
“Yeah. Nothing changed. Nothing.”
“Hmm.”
Just as Kim Ju-hwan frowned slightly and was about to say something, his phone rang. He looked at the screen and clicked his tongue.
“It seems I have to go to work.”
I didn’t even ask….
“Yeah, go work. I think you need to work a bit.”
“That’s harsh. I’m the one who brought the drug; you could at least pretend to want me to stay.”
“Fine, thanks for the drug, now hurry up and go.”
“Really… you’re a master at giving farewells where not a single shred of gratitude is felt.”
Jeong-min didn’t want to respond further and lay back down on the bed.
“Jeong-min Sunbae.”
“What….”
“Are you going to keep doing it?”
I wish he’d just pick one, either informal or formal speech. But he was becoming accustomed to even this.
“Doing what?”
“Correction.”
“…I will. I told Shin-woo Sunbae that I’m continuing.”
“Then you’ll keep sleeping with me, right?”
“…I don’t take back my words. We have a contract.”
“Right. Then let’s proceed as before. Answer my calls properly, and if anything happens, contact me first.”
There was a slight excitement in Kim Ju-hwan’s voice, but Jeong-min tried his best to ignore it.
“Just go already….”
“Yes, yes, I’m just a mere drug shuttle.”
Sarcastic as ever, Kim Ju-hwan left the room. Once the room became quiet, Jeong-min sat on the edge of the bed again.
His mind was clear, as if nothing had happened. Not completely, but it felt like strength was slowly returning to his body. How wonderful would it be if the side effects ended just like this.
Jeong-min clenched his fist tight and then released it. That was greed. Life never, ever goes the way one wants. Who knows that better than himself?
✽✽✽
“Jeong-min.”
At the sound of tapping on the table, Jeong-min snapped back to his senses and looked at the person in front of him. This is crazy. To be thinking of other things while Shin-woo is right here.
“You… aren’t you still unwell?”
Since his condition had finally returned, he had managed to go out with Shin-woo. Thus, it was only natural that he would be worried.
“Not at all. I was just thinking….”
“About what?”
“Um….”
Jeong-min wondered whether he should tell Shin-woo what he was currently worrying about. This was because he felt that the moment he mentioned it, Shin-woo might feel burdened.
“Hubae Shin Jeong-min, you promised to tell me everything without leaving anything out, right?”
Shin-woo spoke with a somewhat serious face. It seemed he had to tell him. In truth, there was no one else to talk about this worry with… except for Shin-woo.
“I’m thinking about moving out.”
“Moving out? Why are you thinking that?”
Actually, he hadn’t intended to move out. He already had an apartment in his name, but he was renting it out, and since living at his parents’ house was comfortable, he had stayed… but after seeing his mother worry while he was sick this time, he felt he could no longer stay.
One way or another, parents are bound to be sensitive about their children’s affairs, so they would try to drag Jeong-min to the hospital for even the smallest thing…. Above all, he hated causing worry. Moreover, it wasn’t an unavoidable illness; he was forcibly twisting the body his parents had painstakingly given him, so he felt there was no greater filial impiety than this.
“I thought maybe I should try living independently for once. I feel like now is just the right opportunity?”
However, he could only tell Shin-woo half the truth. It was for the same reason as with his parents. He didn’t want to cause him worry.
“Hmm, well, you’ve lived at home all this time. It wouldn’t be bad to try living alone once. But don’t you have something you inherited?”
“I do… but someone is renting it right now, and I think a place where my family doesn’t know the address would be better…. So I think I’ll have to find a separate place.”
“Um….”
Shin-woo seemed to be thinking seriously for a moment, then nodded and spoke to Jeong-min.
“Do you want to live with me at my place?”
“Huh?”
Jeong-min looked at Shin-woo in surprise. What did I just hear?
“You’ve been here before, right? My place is spacious. There are plenty of spare rooms…. If you’re okay with it, Jeong-min, I’m fine with living together. What do you think?”
Shin-woo’s eyes were sincere. He wasn’t just saying it. He was sincerely asking Jeong-min to live with him.
“Wouldn’t it be very uncomfortable for you, Hyung?”
“What are you talking about? Not at all. And anyway, a lady comes to the house to clean… and she prepares meals, so there’s nothing for you or me to do separately. If you want, there’s a room where we can make another study for you. Oh, I can give you another dressing room too.”
Shin-woo was proactive. He even went as far as drawing on his phone to explain the layout of the rooms Jeong-min hadn’t seen. It truly lacked nothing for two people to live in. Of course, it was an enormous stroke of luck for Jeong-min. To be able to cohabitate with Shin-woo. Since there was no reason to refuse, Jeong-min quickly agreed.
And he hurriedly began preparing for the move. His parents, naturally, worried a lot when their child said they were leaving the nest, but considering Jeong-min’s age, they soon permitted it as a late independence.
Of course, Jeong-min did not tell them he was living with Shin-woo. His parents offered to find him a house, but he refused. Saying that since it was his first time being independent, he wanted to do everything himself from start to finish, he naturally blocked interference from home. Young-min was very interested in what kind of house he would get, but that interest would likely fade soon.
Then, one week before the move, Jeong-min encountered an unexpected problem. The one who pointed out that problem was none other than Kim Ju-hwan.
“I heard an interesting story.”
“What story?”
Kim Ju-hwan spoke as he placed the aluminum case containing the drug on the table.
“I heard that you and Yu Shin-woo Sunbae decided to live together.”
“How did you know?”
This was something only Shin-woo and he knew.
“Yu Shin-woo Sunbae told me at the research institute. That’s why he’s been very busy lately.”
“Ah… right. I’m moving next week.”
“Ah, so that’s why you haven’t been in touch lately. I suppose he was happy thinking about discarding the concubine now that he’s planning to merge with the main wife?”
“You always talk like that.”
“If not that, then what?”
“Kim Ju-hwan.”
“This isn’t something to laugh about, Sunbae. Cohabitation? Do you not know how dangerous it is for the two of you to live together?”