By Zephyria 
Choi Won-joon was rushed to the hospital and underwent tests immediately, remaining unconscious. Or rather, he was acting so convincingly that Lee-eum thought Choi Won-joon should have been an actor instead of running a company.
While he was being examined, Lee-eum’s father was so anxious that he started smoking again, and before long, his Noona and Hyung heard the news and rushed to the hospital.
“How could you even think of hitting someone with a chair? If you’re old, you should mellow out a bit. Why did you do that, knowing better? Do you want to see Mom collapse?”
“Lower your voice. You’re embarrassing the whole neighborhood. Are you trying to shame your father?”
“The person who knows it’s shameful is the one who caused it? You could have talked it out.”
Kim Malk-eum was genuinely angry with his father, Kim Chun-sam. Kim Chun-sam crossed his arms and stubbornly closed his eyes, and her nagging continued. Lee-eum kept his mouth shut like a guilty person, and Kim Mid-eum came back with a drink from the vending machine.
“Noona, stop it. My father must have had a good reason. I’m angry too,”
“You shut up!”
Kim Mid-eum flinched and stepped back as the sparks flew. Then he sat next to Lee-eum, nudged his arm, and glared.
“You son of a bitch. What did you say to me? You said you weren’t anything special. But why is he coming and going from your house?”
Lee-eum subtly changed the subject.
“Is that what’s important now? Someone’s hurt….”
“It is important. There’s a traitor in our family.”
“Does it have to be that extreme….”
“Tell me honestly. What’s your relationship with that guy? Are you really like that?”
Lee-eum subtly avoided the simultaneous gazes of his Noona and father.
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it? Why are you two living together?”
Should I tell the truth? That I’ve manifested as an Omega. That I found out after becoming a detective and had to hide it because the symptoms were mild. That I need Choi Won-joon’s help to stay quiet for a while.
“Answer me.”
“Well….”
Just as he was about to speak, several cars entered the hospital entrance. They were all luxury sedans, which felt ominous. Sure enough, as soon as the cars stopped, men in suits opened the back doors, and Choi Won-joon’s father and brothers got out in turn.
Lee-eum was startled and jumped up from his seat, and the rest of his family reacted no differently. Choi Won-joon’s brothers hurriedly came over, then flinched and stepped back when they spotted Kim Malk-eum, his Noona.
Then Choi Won-joon’s father, Chairman Choi, appeared, and the atmosphere instantly turned grim. In a tense standoff, Chairman Choi scoffed and stepped forward.
“Long time no see, Detective Kim. No, I should call you Kim Chun-sam now, since you’re not a detective anymore.”
Lee-eum’s father rolled up his sleeves as if ready to fight and placed his hands on his hips.
“Choi Seung-gil, you’ve grown a lot. You were just a thug in Seoul, but now you’re called Chairman and you think you’re untouchable?”
“Why are you bringing up old stories? I’ve paid for my crimes, and now I do a lot of good and give back to others, so don’t worry about that. Who’s calling who a thug when they’re the ones who cracked someone’s head open? What a joke.”
“The joke is you and your son. Not only did you seduce my innocent son, manipulate the media, and use him, but you’re also visiting his house and making moves? And I’m supposed to put up with that?”
“Making moves? What moves did my son make? Did you see it? Did you see it?”
They snarled at each other and closed the distance, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if someone threw a punch first. People passing by the entrance glanced over, and their children tried their best to separate them, but the situation was escalating.
Just then, another car arrived, and Madam Lee, Choi Won-joon’s mother, got out of the back seat. As the secretary opened an umbrella for her, Madam Lee used it and walked over gracefully. At the sight of his wife, Chairman Choi distanced himself from Kim Chun-sam and cleared his throat.
Madam Lee, who had come right up to them, assessed the tense atmosphere and looked around at the people.
“It looks like everyone was fighting. I should have come a little later.”
Kim Chun-sam frowned, and Madam Lee went to him and greeted him demurely.
“Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Mi-ran, Choi Won-joon’s mother.”
Madam Lee also glanced at Kim Malk-eum and Kim Mid-eum.
“I guess these are Detective Kim’s siblings. My goodness, they’re all so good-looking. I thought actors were filming from afar.”
Kim Mid-eum smiled slightly, pleased, but quickly composed himself when Kim Malk-eum glared at him. Chairman Choi, who was watching, came closer and took Madam Lee’s arm.
“Let’s go. They’re not the kind of people you should deal with.”
Then Madam Lee gently removed her husband’s hand.
“Watch your words. We don’t know how the two families will be connected in the future, so it’s not good to create emotional conflicts.”
“Connected? I have no intention of being connected to a family like that, so don’t even bring it up.”
Kim Chun-sam, who was listening, burst out in anger.
“Who are you to talk! Why would my Beta son be connected to your son!”
Madam Lee approached Kim Chun-sam, clasped her hands, and smiled gently.
“You’re too prejudiced. Who’s so old-fashioned these days that they care about the type of person someone is? It’s enough if they like each other.”
At Madam Lee’s words, Kim Chun-sam’s face contorted.
“I’ve been listening since earlier. Listen to me carefully. There’s no way it’ll happen, but even if my son is in that kind of relationship with your son, there will be no marriage. Do you understand? Never, until dirt goes into my eyes,”
Madam Lee opened the bag she was holding and looked for something. Kim Chun-sam was still ranting, and she muttered to herself. Oh dear, I left the dirt at home. Kim Chun-sam was quite shocked to see Madam Lee not being affected at all, and so were Kim Malk-eum and Kim Mid-eum.
Madam Lee smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling.
“You’re lucky today. Otherwise, I would have slapped you with dirt. Ho ho.”
“……”
“Our Lee-eum also faced strong opposition from his father before getting married. But look at them. They’re living so well. It’s upsetting that our Won-joon got beaten up, but if it’s a process he has to go through, what can we do? He has to endure it himself.”
“What is this! Are you listening to me properly!”
Kim Chun-sam’s cheeks trembled with anger. Kim Malk-eum and Kim Mid-eum quickly came and stopped Kim Chun-sam. “Let’s go, Father. You can’t fight here anymore.” In the meantime, a nurse came to look for Choi Won-joon’s guardian. As Lee-eum unknowingly took a step, Madam Lee grabbed his arm.
“Go in with your father today. I’ll go to Won-joon.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Darkness had fallen, and it was raining heavily. It was said that there would be a lot of rain this summer, and it seemed to be true. Lee-eum sat in the driver’s seat of his car, staring blankly at the hospital. After a long deliberation, he took a box of fruit drinks from the passenger seat and got out.
It wasn’t difficult to find the hospital room where Choi Won-joon was staying. It was obvious that he would be in the biggest and best room in the hospital. He knocked and opened the door, and Choi Won-joon waved with a welcoming face.
The TV was on, probably because he was watching the news, and his family was nowhere to be seen. Lee-eum placed the box of drinks on the table, sat on the sofa, and stared at the TV screen instead of Choi Won-joon.
“What’s wrong with your face? Did you have a hard time?”
Lee-eum smiled bitterly. Did I just have a hard time? My father was making a fuss about me taking a leave of absence and coming to the countryside, and my Hyung and Noona didn’t seem to like it either. Well, I guess Choi Won-joon’s family is no different. Both sides are on the verge of war.
“Come here. I’ll give you a hug.”
Choi Won-joon reached out his hand, but Lee-eum didn’t move and remained seated. The playfulness disappeared from Choi Won-joon’s face at his serious expression, and Lee-eum sighed softly.
“I’m going to tell my family tomorrow.”
“What?”
“That I’ve manifested as an Omega. I’m going to be honest and apply for a department transfer.”
Choi Won-joon listened silently, and Lee-eum continued.
“I should have done that from the beginning. If I had, I wouldn’t have been blackmailed by you, Choi Won-joon, and I wouldn’t have made this contract.”
“Do you resent me?”
Lee-eum couldn’t answer. If he resented him a lot at first, he didn’t seem to think that way anymore. Won-joon moved and got out of bed, sitting across from Lee-eum. Then he opened the box and chose a drink.
“Which one do you want? Grape? Orange?”
When he didn’t answer, he picked up a drink with a grape picture on it, twisted open the lid, and handed it to Lee-eum.
“Drink it. Think about it slowly while you drink.”
Lee-eum didn’t touch the drink and looked straight at Choi Won-joon.
“I want to end our relationship, or rather, there’s not even a relationship to speak of. That’s what I came to ask.”
He would have thrown a tantrum or acted like a jerk as usual, but for some reason, Choi Won-joon was calm.
“Okay. If that’s what you want.”
Lee-eum couldn’t hide his bewildered feelings. It was this easy? Choi Won-joon drank the drink, frowned slightly, and smiled. “Ah, it’s bitter.” Then he got up from his seat, came to Lee-eum’s side, and naturally lay down, using his lap as a pillow.
“But let me sleep here before you go. That’s okay, right?”