Correction Chapter 44

On the day his engagement was officially announced, Jungmin, exhausted, was resting his body on the bed for a moment when the incessant vibration forced him up.

The phone in his jacket pocket was ringing clamorously. For some reason, he had a nagging feeling he knew who it was without even looking and was reluctant to answer, but it didn’t seem like the caller would give up. So, he had no choice but to take out the phone and look at the screen.

“Ha, fuck.”

This is why you shouldn’t ignore a person’s intuition. Jungmin rubbed his dry face and looked at the screen again. Staring at the screen that read ‘Kim Joohwan’, he resented his past self, wondering, Why didn’t I block this bastard’s number sooner?

He couldn’t turn off the phone in case a call came from the hospital, yet not answering seemed futile as he had a premonition the ringing, which had been going on for several minutes, would continue until he picked up. He let out a deep sigh and pressed the call button. Whatever, I’ll just listen to his bullshit for a moment. Woof woof.

“Hello.”

—Ha.

I’m the one who wants to sigh right now.

“If you have nothing to say, I’m hanging up?”

—sunbae.

“Yeah.”

—An article about your engagement came out today….

“So? What does that have to do with you?”

—Is it for real?

“I told you when we met last time that I was going to. That my family was planning on sending me off.”

—Ah, I think I remember hearing that. So? …I heard the engagement ceremony is in six months. Why not do it right away?

“Why? You want to send flowers or something?”

—Do you think I’d send something as measly as flowers to my sunbae’s engagement ceremony? I could give you the whole full set, you know?

“…I’m good. I’m not getting engaged because I’m scared of that.”

Laughter trickled through the receiver. And then, as if by a lie, a heavy silence fell. But the sound of Joohwan’s breathing came through so vividly that it was impossible to even think the call had been disconnected.

Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to say, “If you have nothing to say, I’m hanging up,” this time. It was just that kind of atmosphere.

“Kim Joohwan.”

—Yes.

“You called at this hour just to say that? You must be pretty free, huh?”

—No way. I’m probably busier than you are.

“Hey.”

—sunbae.

Whenever this bastard lowered his voice, he’d always spout some nonsense.

“Yeah.”

—…I think alphas look for omegas.

Right, this kind of nonsense.

“…Right. I guess that’s correct. That’s the way of the world. You should hurry up and settle down too. The rumors I hear about you here and there are no joke.”

—I’ll take care of that myself.

Despite casually digging into Jungmin’s private life and subtly interfering, Joohwan drew a clear line when it came to his own privacy. As if to say no further intrusion would be permitted, it felt like he was telling me, You just allow my intrusion and don’t you dare move from there. But Jungmin liked that. Because he truly had no interest in Kim Joohwan’s private life.

—Set a date and introduce me to your fiancée.

“Why should I?”

—That’s harsh. Is our relationship really only worth that much? I’m starting to get sad.

He changes the subject, and the end result is, as expected, nonsense. I can’t listen to this anymore. I feel like I’m going to throw up.

“Let’s hang up. I just got a call from the hospital.”

He made a plausible excuse and hung up the phone. Still, he found himself smiling, thinking that today’s call was milder than expected.

“What do I mean, milder?”

Was I expecting Kim Joohwan to spout even worse bullshit? But what more could he possibly say that was worse than what he’d already said?

‘I think alphas look for omegas.’

That probably had a hidden meaning. Considering the recent situation, it was the kind of nonsense Kim Joohwan would say. Right, today was less mild and more common sense. For a moment, Jungmin thought that Kim Joohwan had become quite the person. A very brief moment.

Jungmin put down the phone and stretched. Today, he would work out for the first time in a while and prepare for the secret operation that would begin tomorrow.

✽✽✽

After the engagement announcement, Sooeun joined the hospital where Jungmin and Soohan worked as an intern. After that, Jungmin made a point of sticking close to Sooeun, and like a shadow, Soohan followed their every move. The two soon became known as the hospital’s lovebird couple, and a joke started circulating among the nurses giving Ji Soohan the nickname ‘Couple Mom’ for being so protective of the couple.

Sooeun also did her best in her role so that no one could suspect a thing. Then, when night fell, she would pretend to be on a date with Jungmin, only to meet her partner at a certain location for a secret rendezvous. They coordinated their stories to prevent their families from getting suspicious.

When Jungmin parted ways with Sooeun, he would have a drink with Ji Soohan, eat a meal, or sometimes watch a movie. Feeling sorry toward Jungmin, Ji Soohan made various efforts in his own way. Jungmin found it burdensome, but it was also enjoyable to think he had made a friend, and for Soohan’s sake as well, he decided to comfortably enjoy the goodwill he was shown.

A couple of months passed as they spent their days in this ordinary fashion.

While Sooeun was away at a regional academic conference, Jungmin had to play the part of a lonely gander. Soohan watched this from a distance and laughed.

“Want to leave work together today? How about it?”

Soohan approached, pretending to rescue Jungmin, and offered to get drinks. There was no reason to refuse.

“Ah, Soohan hyung. Thanks. I was just craving a drink today.”

“I thought so. Now I can tell just by looking at your eyes.”

“Haha.”

Soohan had started speaking casually with Jungmin a month ago.

“Then could you wait just a moment? I’ll just go change my clothes and come—”

“Shin Jungmin!”

An interloper suddenly appeared. Youngmin strode into the hospital, carrying the older child in one arm and the younger one in the other. His face was full of fury, suggesting he’d fought with his husband again. If I didn’t listen to him at times like this, it would get difficult. More than anything, it would be most difficult for the nephews, so Jungmin gave Soohan a bitter smile.

“Looks like today won’t work. I have a guest.”

“Seems so. Besides, I’m a guest who wouldn’t be much help anyway. Sorry.”

Over the past few months with Jungmin, Soohan had become completely fed up with his twin brother, Youngmin. He was an omega with decent looks, but you couldn’t find an ounce of charm in him, and Soohan was disgusted after seeing how much he mentally tormented Jungmin. Despite this, Jungmin accepted it all, soothed him, and cared for him for the sole reason that he was his twin brother. Soohan had recently even commented that Jungmin must be a living Buddha.

Soohan gave Youngmin the barest of greetings and disappeared. Youngmin, barely acknowledging Soohan’s greeting, stomped over to Jungmin, fuming. Jungmin greeted his adorable nephews.

“I’m getting a divorce!”

Jungmin, in the middle of greeting his nephews, was startled. Youngmin’s booming voice echoed down the hallway. Feeling the gazes of passing doctors and nurses turn their way, Jungmin quickly grabbed Youngmin’s arm and led him into the currently empty doctors’ lounge.

“What are you saying in front of the kids?”

“I can’t live with that man anymore! I really can’t! He leaves all the childcare to me! I’m dying from exhaustion!”

“I thought Mother sent someone over recently.”

“I didn’t like the way they worked, so I kicked them out.”

It’s more likely they quit because you nagged them too much, Jungmin thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it and just sighed.

“Don’t you know any good people, Jungmin? I really can’t raise them. I must have been crazy, why did I have another one just to suffer like this? That man said he’d help if we had one more, but what a load of crap~ there’s none of that. It’s so annoying.”

You readily had another one because your parents-in-law said they’d give you a building if you did, you know.

Jungmin carved the character for ‘patience’ in his mind while continuously stroking the hair of his nephew, who was clinging to him and staring blankly.

“The kids can hear you. Stop it.”

Jungmin quickly sat his two nephews down on the opposite bed and placed the snacks he’d bought for them in their hands. That way, they would focus on eating the snacks and not listen to what their mother was saying.

“Why was I born an omega, really? I should have presented as an alpha. I hate heat cycles and everything. I hate kids too. If I had presented as an alpha, I wouldn’t be living like this. What the hell is this.”

“Youngmin. This is the path you chose. Why do you have so many complaints?”

“You don’t know! You, an alpha, you don’t know! This world revolves around alphas! Omegas have no life, nothing. After getting married, no one treats me like anything. Even Mom seems to be ignoring me these days. Is that all? You’ve been ignoring me lately too!”

“I have never done that. And of course, neither has Mother.”

“Don’t lie! You’ve been worse since you got engaged. What the hell. I hate it. It’s so annoying. I hate everything. I hate the kids too. I want to live alone. I’m going to live alone. I’m getting a divorce.”

“Youngmin….”

Jungmin now had to soothe Youngmin, who had collapsed onto the floor and started bawling. As their mother cried, the children soon followed suit, doubling the difficulty.

Feeling it was hopeless, Jungmin called his mother, who coaxed Youngmin over the phone to come home for now. Thankfully, Youngmin listened to his mother. Only after watching him, still sniffling, get into a taxi with the nephews in his arms, could Jungmin finally rest.