By Zephyria 
“…Uh…”
He thought his heart would race if this situation ever happened. But it wasn’t. Instead, his heart stopped. No, the whole world stopped. The air, time… everything that flowed ceased, and it felt as if only Yu Shin-woo and he were left alone in the world.
These were the words he had longed for and wanted so much. He thought they were words he could never possess.
“Shin-woo hyung…”
Jeong-min pushed Shin-woo away and looked at his face. If there was a hint of playfulness, he intended to brush it off as a joke. But there wasn’t. His eyes were quite serious.
“Really… really? You’re not joking, right?”
“I know how you feel; do I look like a bad person who would say this as a joke?”
“No, I didn’t mean that… it’s just…”
As Jeong-min looked flustered, Shin-woo smiled. Then he stroked Jeong-min’s hair.
“Jeong-min, I’m serious.”
“But hyung, I’m an Alpha… because I’m an Alpha. Since I’m an Alpha…”
Not knowing what to say or how to say it, only strange words kept coming out. No, in a way, those were the most important words. Because nothing else had stood between him and Shin-woo until now.
“You said you’d become my Omega, didn’t you?”
‘Then what if I’m an Alpha? If I stay an Alpha… what happens?’ he wanted to ask, but he was afraid. He didn’t have the courage to find out what answer would come or how that tender gaze would change, so Jeong-min kept his mouth shut.
“Jeong-min.”
“Huh? Yes?”
“You don’t look happy.”
“That’s not true. I’m so happy. I’m just so happy I can’t speak.”
“Really?”
“Hyung, I’m hurt. Do you really not know my heart?”
“That can’t be. It’s because I know it so well that I’m saying this to you, an Alpha. Then we’re dating starting today, right? And once you become an Omega, let’s officially imprint and live together. I want to tell you to come to my house right now… but I understand the concerns you mentioned… and I haven’t passed that period yet either.”
Ah… did he say three months? No, there are two months left now. Jeong-min ruminated on what Shin-woo had said before. He had said that if a matching Omega didn’t appear after the period passed, he would live by enduring it with drugs.
“I will do my best so that we can be together, Jeong-min. So I hope you… think about it a lot and do your best too.”
The meaning of Shin-woo’s words didn’t hit him immediately. He just wondered, ‘How can I do my best more than this?’ before reaching the conclusion, ‘I’m still lacking…’ That was it. He had put in a lot of effort, but the fact that he was still an Alpha was the problem. Thinking about how he could stay by Shin-woo’s side in this state, Jeong-min could do nothing but nod at Shin-woo’s words.
Contrary to his thought that he would be purely happy, his heart and mind were complicated. Every time that happened, Shin-woo would contact Jeong-min to remind him that they were ‘dating.’ Thanks to that, his thoughts cleared up bit by bit while preparing for the move. First, he had to strip away everything contradictory.
Let’s not give up on becoming an Omega. That way, he can stay by Shin-woo’s side longer, and Shin-woo can be safe. He must save him… Jeong-min vowed once more not to forget that he had run toward that single goal. However, amidst that, there was one thing that bothered him.
Jeong-min sat on the sofa, staring at his phone for a long time, then, as if having made a decision, he made a call. The signal didn’t even go past two rings before the other party answered.
─ Yes, Sunbae.
What a surprise. He answered so quickly. As if he had been waiting.
─ Jeong-min Sunbae?
“Ah, yeah. It’s me, Kim Ju-hwan.”
─ Yes, I know who it is, Jeong-min Sunbae.
What is it? Why does his voice sound so pleased?
“Do you happen to have time?”
─ Hmm… what kind of time are we talking about?
It was understandable for him to speak this way. Until now, the only times they had met were at Kim Ju-hwan’s house for the drugs.
“I want to talk. I’d like to meet outside. I can adjust my schedule. I’m unemployed anyway.”
─ Weren’t you out of time because you were meeting Shin-woo Sunbae?
What does he want to hear?
“I have time to meet you.”
─ Yes, I understand. I’ll contact you after deciding on the time and place.
“Okay.”
Even after hanging up, Jeong-min felt strange because Kim Ju-hwan had sounded so happy throughout the call. And after a few minutes, a message arrived with the location and time.
Although he had said any date was fine, it was for tonight, and the location was a restaurant in a recently opened foreign hotel—a place so exclusive that even the most influential people found it hard to make a reservation.
Jeong-min sighed and stood up. He could avoid it no longer. Therefore, he had to reach a definite conclusion and talk to Kim Ju-hwan.
✽✽✽
The meeting place was more private than expected. Although it was a room, the size of the room spanned the square footage of an ordinary apartment, making it feel as if he had rented out an entire floor. Moreover, it overlooked the Han River, and the night view was more beautiful than any he had ever seen, leaving Jeong-min astonished.
Come to think of it, he had never been to a place like this with Shin-woo. Surprisingly, Shin-woo liked ordinary things. He preferred crowded places over atmospheric ones and spent his days enjoying a normal daily life.
It’s probably because he’s sick, right? If Shin-woo’s body became healthy and all restrictions caused by pheromones disappeared… Jeong-min thought he’d like to come to a place like this and have time for just the two of them, as he sat in the guided seat.
“Sunbae.”
Just as he thought he heard a murmur, a man entered. True to being an Extreme Alpha, he exuded a heavy, sinking atmosphere. His looks were not just ordinary, but exceptional, leaving everyone around him in admiration. Knowing this well, his dressed-up appearance today was extraordinary compared to what he usually wore.
“Did you go to a fitting or something?”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you so dressed up?”
“If a concubine wants to look good to his lord, he must first put effort into his adornments. After that comes the nighttime work.”
Kim Ju-hwan spoke with a smile as he handed his jacket to the waiter and sat in the chair. Well, that could be the case. He hadn’t seen Kim Ju-hwan working very often.
“If you like it, I’ll dress like this every time we meet.”
“You’ll wear that at home too?”
“If Sunbae wants me to?”
“Forget it. Do that when you get a lover later.”
Jeong-min expected him to snap back as soon as he finished speaking, but an unexpected silence began. Why did the mood suddenly sink again?
“I’ve pre-ordered the dinner menu. Is that alright?”
“Yeah.”
Once the waiter bowed and left, only Jeong-min and Kim Ju-hwan remained in the wide space, accompanied by the melody of soft music. Feeling a dryness in his throat for some reason, Jeong-min drank water repeatedly. As he poured water into the empty glass to drink again, Kim Ju-hwan reached out to stop him.
“Delicious food will keep coming out, so don’t fill up on water.”
“…Okay.”
“How is your body? Are you taking the drugs well?”
“You know because you see the reports every day.”
Though those reports were sent through Doctor Kim, not directly to Kim Ju-hwan.
“Still, since I’m seeing your face, I want to hear it from you.”
“I’m fine.”
He said that, but in truth, he hadn’t fully recovered. His muscles were gradually wasting away, and he was losing weight. He had tried exercising just in case, but he couldn’t perform the exercises properly because there was no strength in his body. Maybe just some cardio…? Jeong-min held back because he felt he might get injured if he did weights in his current state.
Still, thanks to the drugs Kim Ju-hwan gave him, his condition didn’t worsen further. His energy had returned quite a bit, and daily life was possible.
“Another supplement tailored for you will be released. Let’s try taking that in parallel. A person can’t have absolutely no muscle. The pleasure of holding you is disappearing, so I’m starting to feel a bit sad lately. That was your only advantage.”
“Hey.”
Jeong-min instinctively looked around. Fortunately, as expected, there was no one there.
“So, what is it you want to talk about today?”
“Huh?”
“Asking to meet like this… you’re not really giving attention to a concubine stuck in a back room. There must be a reason. Are you going to kick me out, saying you’re bored and the concubinage is over?”
Kim Ju-hwan smiled and took a sip of wine. He was probably joking, but for Jeong-min, it wasn’t a joke. Perhaps… that was really why he had called him.
As Jeong-min remained silent, the smile on Kim Ju-hwan’s face stiffened. He slowly placed the wine glass on the table and then let out a light sigh.
Then, he smiled and tapped the table with his finger. At that sound, Jeong-min met the eyes of Kim Ju-hwan, which he had briefly avoided.