Correction Chapter 39

When Youngmin woke up in the morning, he was gone, having returned home. After a long time of quiet, Jungmin ate breakfast with his parents. Jungmin was touched by the full spread prepared for breakfast. He used to take this meal and these side dishes for granted, but now they felt unfamiliar.

“Eat this too, okay?”

His mother was busy piling Jungmin’s plate with delicious meat dishes. Feeling sorry for his father, Jungmin said it was okay, but even his father added tasty ribs to Jungmin’s plate.

His parents had been quite lonely since Youngmin got married and moved out. Youngmin was more affectionate than Jungmin, so he was probably the more beloved child to his parents. Seeing their loneliness, Jungmin decided not to move out and to stay by their side. He felt that they would be truly lonely if he were gone too. Even if they never showed it outwardly.

“Jungmin.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Seeing your older brothers all married with children makes me so happy. I thought they would never grow up, but seeing them change after having kids makes me think of you. I know you’re very busy these days, and I know it’s early. But you need to settle down soon too. Look at Youngmin. He’s become a bit more mature after getting married, hasn’t he?”

Jungmin nodded at his father’s words, though he didn’t think Youngmin had changed at all, at least not in that way… His mother seemed annoyed that his father brought up such a topic during breakfast and nudged him in the side, but Jungmin didn’t mind. He knew this conversation would happen eventually. It had only been delayed because Jungmin had insisted on becoming a doctor.

His older brothers had all been engaged and married in their early twenties, and given Jungmin’s favorable circumstances, he probably had numerous offers coming his way.

“Jungmin, there’s no rush, so take your time thinking about it.”

His mother said to Jungmin, looking apprehensive. She must have given a lot of thought to having this conversation.

“Yes, I understand.”

His parents were pleased with Jungmin’s positive response.

“I’ll attend the founding anniversary celebration this time.”

That must have been the point of all this. Jungmin’s father was soon to retire, and his eldest brother would take over. That announcement would be made at the founding anniversary, and every important person in South Korea would be gathered there. And there, a selection process, though not officially called one, would take place. Families vying for Shin Jungmin, the last ‘unmarried’ alpha of the Shin family, would line up.

“Good thinking.”

“Yes, there’s bound to be an omega you’ll like. Mom and Dad will look hard for you.”

“Okay. I’ll leave it to you two.”

Jungmin continued eating his meal, smiling.

He had erased love and relationships from his mind for the past few years. They weren’t meant for him. From the moment he was selected as an alpha, he was destined for this. He thought that he suffered so much because he rejected that destiny, then quickly shut the box of memories. He didn’t want to bring back those memories. If he did, he felt as if he would end up denying himself…

✽✽✽

After a single day of sweet rest, the hospital was as busy and hectic as ever. What helped Jungmin endure was that, firstly, the work was surprisingly well-suited to him, and secondly, there was no harassment from his seniors.

Thanks to his naturally affable personality and ability to please others, he had reached a point where he wasn’t ignored by his seniors, but neither was he the recipient of their special favor, which meant he wasn’t the target of envy or jealousy from his peers or juniors. Jungmin was leading a relatively satisfactory life, getting along well with everyone, socializing well, and doing his job well.

“Hey, Shin Jungmin, come here.”

Jungmin was organizing a patient’s chart when he heard a senior calling him from afar and quickly ran over.

“Yes, sunbae.”

As he approached, he saw two other seniors standing around the one who called him.

“Are you the son of the Shinsung Foundation?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why are you playing dumb? It’s in the paper.”

Seeing the senior waving a newspaper, Jungmin looked at him with an even more puzzled expression. After asking permission, he took the newspaper from the senior. It contained an article announcing the Shinsung Foundation’s anniversary, along with a small genealogy chart. Naturally, Jungmin’s name was included. It was just a name and age, not even a photo, yet they figured it out. Impressive deductive skills. Jungmin clicked his tongue inwardly.

The people at the hospital didn’t know about Jungmin’s family background. Jungmin hadn’t wanted to reveal it. The reason was that the Shinsung Foundation operated the largest general hospital in the country, and the director of that hospital was Jungmin’s sister-in-law.

His sister-in-law had always told him to come work at that hospital, but Jungmin had chosen to go to a different hospital because he wanted to live a relatively normal life and be with his friends and colleagues. He had kept quiet about it all this time, but…

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?”

An alpha, and the son of the Shinsung Foundation. On top of that, he’d been hiding it. It was natural that he’d be the target of all sorts of misunderstandings and contempt, Jungmin thought. If he denied it now, they’d dig even deeper. There are no eternal lies, he worried, and if he got caught, he’d really be in trouble.

He had a feeling his remaining internship period was going to be tough. It couldn’t be helped.

“Hey, Shin Jungmin. Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sunbae. It’s true.”

“It is?”

“Yes, but my family affairs have nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, really? Just thinking about how much you must have looked down on us, Prince, gives me the chills.”

“Sunbae, I’ve never thought that way.”

The atmosphere was frosty. Was he going to be bullied or ostracized now, something he hadn’t experienced in school?

“Then why did you come to this hospital instead of the one run by the Shinsung Foundation? This bastard, he’s so damn annoying.”

Another senior joined in, mocking Jungmin. Because Jungmin was an alpha, he was much bigger and stronger than the betas. That’s why they didn’t dare to confront him directly, but they used their senior status to vent the anger and inferiority they felt towards Jungmin.

“What are you all doing here?”

The sharp voice startled not only Jungmin but also the other seniors. Turning towards the voice, they saw a resident from the Alpha Department standing there.

Judging by the other seniors’ reactions, this resident must be higher up than them. The doctor, with dark brown hair, approached with an annoyed expression, exuding the dominant pheromones of an alpha, befitting someone in charge of the Alpha Department. Of course, the beta seniors couldn’t detect it, but Jungmin could.

“Why don’t you all go back to your posts? It’s not exactly downtime.”

“Y-Yes!”

The seniors scurried away, and Jungmin thanked the doctor. As he looked up, he saw the name tag that read ‘Ji Soohan.’

“Thank you, Dr. Ji Soohan.”

When Jungmin smiled and thanked him again, Ji Soohan sighed with a troubled expression.

“I didn’t expect to meet you like this….”

He muttered something else, but Jungmin didn’t catch it.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You don’t have to thank me. Even if you’re being respectful to your seniors, isn’t it frustrating to be treated like that? If you haven’t done anything wrong, hold your head high.”

“Yes? Oh, okay.”

He left first, and Jungmin scratched his head, folding the newspaper that had fallen to the floor and throwing it in the nearby trash can. He’d have to lie low for a while.

Jungmin sighed deeply and trudged off to the ward where he’d been called.

✽✽✽

The day the king of the Shinsung Foundation changed.

And because Shin Jungmin, who had never officially appeared at an event since becoming an adult, was attending, families with unmarried omegas were abuzz, dressed to the nines, awaiting their chance to be chosen.

However, Shin Jungmin himself appeared unfazed. He wasn’t nervous, nor was he overly dressed up; he appeared in the hall with a modest appearance, and that in itself captured their attention.

Though not wearing an expensive suit, his well-proportioned physique, long legs, neat features, and smooth eyes captivated the hearts of the omegas.

Although not a dominant alpha, the subtle scent of his alpha pheromones was refreshing and comforting, enough to attract the attention of the unmarried omegas. Moreover, with a promising career, he was flawless.

“Hello. I’m Shin Jungmin.”

Jungmin greeted everyone who approached him kindly and introduced himself calmly. His every move was deliberate and composed. Furthermore, he had no unsavory rumors attached to him. Frankly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was the most outstanding individual, in both appearance and character, among all the current second-generation elites in the country.