Love Born of Pity Chapter 20

Due to a persistent low-grade fever, Kwon Jiho visited a doctor who recommended a secondary sex characteristic test. Puzzled, but compliant, he had his blood drawn and waited for about 40 minutes. A nurse, checking the monitor at the reception desk, called his name.

“Mr. Kwon Jiho. Your results are a little late. Please come into the examination room.”

He opened the door as instructed and entered. The doctor, who was reviewing the test results on the monitor, greeted him with a nod.

“Hmm, as expected, it’s not a fever from a cold, but a presentation fever.”

“A presentation fever…?”

“Yes. While reviewing your medical questionnaire, I suspected it might be the case, but your secondary sex characteristic has changed. You said you were a Beta, correct? This might be quite shocking, but you’re now a recessive Omega. Moreover, since you presented after reaching adulthood, you aren’t a complete recessive. However, this means that from now on, there is a possibility of pregnancy from sexual intercourse with an Alpha, so if you’re not planning to have children, it’s best to be careful.”

“But… why, how, how could…”

Kwon Jiho’s face contorted as he mumbled in disbelief. Could a secondary sex characteristic change so suddenly after living his whole life as a Beta?

“Other than the persistent low-grade fever… there was nothing else, how could…”

“You mentioned your regular sexual partner is a dominant Alpha, correct? It’s highly likely the presentation was triggered by the dominant Alpha’s pheromone showers and knotting. Your questionnaire indicated a family history of secondary sex characteristics, didn’t it? If even one family member has a secondary sex characteristic, all family members are considered potential presentation candidates. Didn’t you learn this in secondary sex characteristic education?”

“My mother’s younger brother was a recessive Alpha, so shouldn’t I have presented as an Alpha too…?”

The doctor chuckled softly at the naive question.

“Just because there’s an Alpha in your family doesn’t mean you’ll present as one. It’s a matter of chromosomes, like how sex is determined.”

“There are cases like Mr. Kwon Jiho’s, where the secondary sex characteristic changes due to a partner or spouse. Presentation after adulthood is heavily influenced by pheromones. However, apart from the possibility of pregnancy as a recessive, there won’t be much difference from when you were a Beta. And…”

The doctor paused, seemingly choosing his words.

“…Well, because it wasn’t a normal presentation, your pheromone glands haven’t developed. You could say that’s fortunate. Most people who present after living as a Beta struggle with pheromone control, but Mr. Kwon Jiho won’t have any pheromones.”

The doctor pushed his glasses up with the back of his hand, speaking in an incredibly matter-of-fact tone. He added that such cases weren’t uncommon, so Kwon Jiho needn’t be overly alarmed. It wasn’t exactly common, but it wasn’t unheard of either.

“…I’ve never… never considered that I would become an Omega… Why me… suddenly.”

“It’s perfectly understandable that you’re confused. But you’re in a relationship with your partner with the intention of marriage, right?”

“…Yes?”

“He must have strong feelings for you to have used enough pheromones to trigger a presentation in a Beta. Alphas don’t usually use this much pheromone unless it’s with someone they intend to bond with, especially dominants. It seems you’re very loved. In cases like this, bonding is an option.”

“…”

“Once bonded, you won’t be able to sense the pheromones of other Alphas or Omegas. That would help you adjust to your current situation more quickly. You won’t feel much difference from when you were a Beta either, since you’ll only receive and perceive the pheromones you’ve always received.”

The doctor explained in a soothing voice, as if comforting a shocked Kwon Jiho. He occasionally made eye contact and smiled gently.

“It might be uncomfortable and unfamiliar now, but you can definitely adapt. Local governments provide free psychological counseling for Omegas, so please make sure to utilize that. It will help. You also need to visit an Omega-specialized OB/GYN to check the development, location, size, and shape of your uterus via ultrasound. I’ll write you a referral.”

“So… as you said, I really could… get pregnant…?”

“Yes. Because you’re an Omega. I don’t specialize in obstetrics, so I can’t say for certain, but… if you frequently have unprotected sex with a dominant Alpha, the chances of pregnancy will be high.”

There was only one reason Do Yeonjae was with him: he was a Beta. Betas couldn’t get pregnant. Loved? Affection? That couldn’t be true. It wasn’t affection, but convenience. To Do Yeonjae, he was a tool, convenient for sex and ruts without the worry of pregnancy.

But what if he wasn’t a Beta anymore? What if he was no longer convenient? What if he was an Omega who could get pregnant? That changed everything. He knew better than anyone that all the kindness he received was because he was a Beta.

He felt nauseous. The ground beneath him seemed to crumble. Would Do Yeonjae continue their relationship even knowing he was an Omega? Wouldn’t he find another Beta? Then what about his sister?

“I don’t really know what pheromones are… the person I’m seeing always smells good, is that not what you mean?”

“Hmm… You’ll recognize it clearly soon enough. You’ll know, ‘this is a pheromone.'”

“…Like how I suddenly presented, can pheromones also… appear later?”

“No, pheromone glands don’t develop later on. Even if you were to become a dominant Omega, which is unlikely, you wouldn’t have pheromones.”

Listening to the doctor’s confident answer, Kwon Jiho thought, perhaps he could hide it. Even if he’d changed from a Beta to an Omega, a recessive Omega was close to a Beta. If he just used contraception diligently, the probability of pregnancy was low, and he didn’t have pheromones anyway, so couldn’t he pass as a Beta? Maybe Do Yeonjae wouldn’t find out.

“Then the fever…”

“Presentation fevers usually last about two weeks and then gradually subside. It should go down soon. Shall I prescribe you some antipyretics if you’re uncomfortable?”

“…No. Instead… could I get a prescription for birth control pills?”

The doctor smiled apologetically at the cautious question.

“You’ll have to visit an OB/GYN for a birth control pill prescription.”

His face hardening at the implication that he couldn’t get a prescription here, Kwon Jiho stood up. He had a vague feeling that he couldn’t go to a nearby OB/GYN. He needed to go as far away as possible. He ran a trembling hand through his hair, bowed his head, and left the examination room.

As soon as he closed the door, his legs gave way. Pale and dizzy, he stumbled before managing to sit down in the waiting area, burying his face in his hands. Did Do Yeonjae know that Alpha pheromones could trigger a presentation?

No, even if he did, he didn’t know about the Alpha in his family… The thought that he should be honest clashed with the desperate need to hide it until Kwon Heeyeon recovered.

If he presented as an Omega while already having a partner who was planning to marry him, it was clear he wouldn’t be welcomed. The possibility of pregnancy would make sex, or even sharing a rut, uncomfortable. If that happened, he would become useless to Do Yeonjae.

Would there be any point in keeping him around if he was just a financial burden? No matter how he thought about it, the answer was no. The Do Yeonjae he knew would surely find another Beta. Betas were a dime a dozen, easy to find anywhere. There were plenty of Betas in better situations, with better circumstances, without families to support or financial needs.

“Sob… what am I going to do?”

Thanks to Do Yeonjae, Kwon Heeyeon was scheduled to transfer to a rehabilitation hospital next week. He even arranged for a dedicated therapist for her. All the kindness Do Yeonjae had shown him, all the favors, were things he could only receive as a Beta.

Kwon Jiho wiped his wet eyes with the back of his hand and took out his card to pay, then suddenly shook his head. Because of the secondary sex characteristic test, the hospital bill was higher than expected. The card he was about to use was the one Do Yeonjae had given him for emergencies.

“Aren’t you paying by card?”

“…I’ll pay in cash.”

“Do you need a cash receipt?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Relieved that he had brought cash, Kwon Jiho paid and trudged out of the hospital. He decided to walk to the academy and started slowly, his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding buildings. He stopped at every building with a hospital sign, searching for an Omega-specialized OB/GYN.

“Ha…”

His mind was consumed with the worry of what would happen if he hid it and got caught. He didn’t have pheromones, and unless Do Yeonjae dragged him for another test, he shouldn’t get caught, right? But what if he did? Every thought ended the same way: what if Do Yeonjae found out? Lost in these thoughts, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

[Director]

As if he had been caught, Kwon Jiho’s hand trembled at the sight of the caller ID. He dropped his phone in shock.

Crack!

A heavy cracking sound came from the phone as it hit the ground.