Correction Chapter 43

The drinking session began out of the blue. Just moments ago, they were setting a mood in a luxurious restaurant, but now they were in a quiet bar in a basement.

Neither good nor bad, and with no other customers. Just a quiet bar they had walked into as soon as they saw it, without any thought.

With dry snacks and cheap whiskey before them, the two men were silent. They just filled each other’s empty glasses, drank, and repeated the process.

After drinking this much, they should have been drunk, but both men’s minds remained clear even as the bottle became empty. No, if anything, they seemed to be getting sharper.

Jungmin and Soohan both had much to say, and at the same time, nothing at all. But they couldn’t just keep drinking. They needed to find some kind of answer. Jungmin judged that if they parted ways like this, he wouldn’t be able to treat Ji Soohan as he had before, and there would only be an awkward atmosphere between them. So, he spoke first.

“Did you know, Mr. Ji Soohan?”

It didn’t seem like he didn’t know. He had to have known. That must have been why he had made that expression all those times I asked about Sooeun. That must have been why, when I told him I was meeting Sooeun, he said things like he was worried I would get hurt.

“Yes.”

He admitted it frankly and downed a glass. Jungmin ordered a new bottle.

“I noticed before Sooeun even realized her love was a difficult one. That boy, myself, and Sooeun were childhood friends.”

At Ji Soohan’s words, a scene flashed through Jungmin’s mind for a moment. Youngmin, Jungmin, and Yoo Shinwoo. Jungmin shook his head, trying hard to forget.

“Sooeun liked that boy. She was prickly, but—that was her way of showing affection. That boy liked Sooeun too. The one who cheered for them and brought them together was me. I wanted them to be happy. But then, that boy presented as an omega. It was our first year of high school. The boy naturally avoided Sooeun, and Sooeun chased after him, saying it was okay. She said she would become an alpha, and if not, even a beta would be fine. But Sooeun became an omega too.”

A story I’d heard somewhere, a story someone had experienced. It was so eerily similar that Jungmin could only let out a hollow laugh. He couldn’t dare to imagine what kind of life Sooeun had lived after that, how much she had struggled, or what hardships and resolutions the two had gone through to be together, but because he understood that pain to some extent, Jungmin just drank and listened to Ji Soohan’s story.

“Breaking up and getting back together, again and again, I also came to realize that the two of them were inseparable. But it’s a fact that same-gender pairings are not accepted. Especially in our family… Then eventually, talk of Sooeun’s marriage came up, and those two… decided to run away. It’s a common story.”

No. That’s not a common story, it’s a terribly painful one.

“But why did you meet with me?”

“When our parents chose you, Mr. Shin, Sooeun and I looked into you. We were surprised that you were a doctor at the same hospital, but your reputation wasn’t bad, and you seemed like a good person in many ways. As you know, you’re well aware of how dirty people in this world play.”

“Compared to that, I was clean. Is that it? I’m curious as to why that was the reason I was ‘chosen’.”

That day, I thought I had chosen Sooeun—or to be precise, that my family had chosen her—but it turns out I was the one who was chosen.

“We needed someone who could keep a secret.”

Ah, so that’s what it was. Well, keeping my mouth shut was a field I was confident in. I didn’t have many connections in this circle, so there was no one to talk to anyway.

“Does that mean the two of you planned this meeting?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm… I’d like to hear the whole story, Mr. Ji Soohan. I believe I have the right to.”

At Jungmin’s words, Ji Soohan gulped down the full glass of whiskey in one go and began with an apology.

“We won’t go as far as an engagement before we meet. We’ll break it off somehow. But we won’t tell him the story. Just say you don’t like him and refuse. That’s what Sooeun said, but I told her that wouldn’t be the end of it. I said our parents would introduce someone else to you and push for an engagement until it happens…. If that’s the case, let’s ask someone for help. We’ll meet someone good, and let’s tell that person our story. Let’s ask for help. That’s the only way you’ll survive. That’s how I persuaded her. And then we met you. If the rumors hadn’t been true, I might have acted like a jerk at that meeting to make you back off. But my first impression of you wasn’t like that. I had watched you at the hospital a few times, and you were a good person. You were the person we were looking for. We were lucky. When I told Sooeun, she was happy too. I suggested I tell you everything and set up a meeting. But… as we met, you turned out to be an even better person than I thought, Mr. Shin Jungmin, so it became harder and harder to say anything. In the end, Sooeun took the lead. She said that dragging it out any longer would actually be worse for you. So this meeting was arranged. But… I didn’t know Sooeun would tell you so quickly. She must have been that desperate. Those two have seemed on edge lately. In the end, we’ve dragged a third party into this. And of all people, you, Mr. Shin… I’m sorry.”

“I think I have a rough idea of the situation. And thank you for telling me.”

Jungmin downed a glass. As soon as he emptied it, Soohan refilled Jungmin’s glass.

“Are you not offended?”

Since Jungmin was surprisingly calm, Ji Soohan felt even more apologetic and asked cautiously.

“I am offended. Of course I am. But I have no intention of blaming you two for it. It’s just… the thought that you were desperate enough to ask for help from someone as insignificant as me… that’s all that comes to mind. And in a way, didn’t you see me in a good light?”

“I like that you are so positive, Mr. Shin. And your patience, too.”

“Patience?”

“Yes, haven’t the instances of you being harassed been increasing recently? From your fellow doctors or sunbaes. But you just stayed quiet.”

“Ah, that.”

Jungmin smiled and swirled his whiskey glass.

“It’s childish, isn’t it? I don’t want to bother with every little thing. Honestly, I’d like to punch one of them… but it’s a waste of time. I also hate being put on the same level… something like that. It’s not for such a good reason.”

I was grateful that he saw me in a good light, but I also wanted to appeal to the fact that I had a tough side to me too, but Ji Soohan just stared at Jungmin quietly. With serious eyes.

“In that case, Mr. Shin. You can hit me once.”

“What?”

Jungmin looked at Ji Soohan in surprise.

“I did something that deserves a punch, so you can hit me.”

“No, it’s alright. It’s really alright.”

“I will definitely repay this debt.”

“You don’t have to. I don’t want to give you a debt. It would make me uncomfortable.”

“…I’m truly sorry, Mr. Shin. I just thought it would be better… if I was the one to tell you. I don’t want to be hated by you, Mr. Shin. I.”

“There’s no way I would hate you, Mr. Ji Soohan. I respect you.”

At Jungmin’s words, Soohan smiled as if in relief.

“…And you can speak casually to me. We’re going to be like brothers for a short time, after all.”

Ji Soohan stopped drinking. He looked at Jungmin in surprise.

“Mr. Shin.”

“I’ll call you sunbae, too.”

Ji Soohan shot up from his seat and looked at Jungmin.

“Is it… alright?”

“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. To be honest, I was also having a hard time with the constant talk of marriage. I wanted to enjoy the solo life a little longer… my parents probably won’t be able to say much during this time. And afterwards, I’ll have the chance to back out, citing the pain of a broken heart. There’s no reason not to do it.”

He was deliberately framing it as a favorable and good deal for himself, but Ji Soohan knew it was a lie. The Shin Jungmin he had observed, however briefly… was not the type of person to put others down even if it meant taking a loss himself. That’s why he sometimes thought he was excessively kind….

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Shin.”

A tremor, along with a hint of moisture, could be felt at the end of Ji Soohan’s voice. Jungmin pretended not to notice, downed the full glass of alcohol in one go, and closed his eyes.

And so, one week later—Jungmin and Sooeun’s engagement was officially announced.

Jungmin went to her house himself and said he would get engaged. When he was left alone with Sooeun, he gently reassured the constantly sniffling Sooeun, telling her that he would protect her for six months. So she shouldn’t worry.