Correction Chapter 52

“Gag- ugh-”

It had already been several tens of minutes since Jungmin started clutching the toilet and throwing up its contents.

It was a situation where a doctor should have been called, but since that wasn’t possible, Joohwan, who was standing outside the bathroom, could only stare at his watch.

Just one more minute. Joohwan tapped his wristwatch with his finger.

A pained voice could still be heard from inside. Glancing over, he could see an empty syringe rolling around under the bed. Joohwan picked up the syringe, broke it in half, and threw it into the trash can. Then he hurled the empty medicine bottle next to it towards the mirror.

Shattered glass fragments flew and made a small cut on Kim Joohwan’s face, but he neither paid attention to the blood trickling down nor felt any pain.

He looked at his watch again. The second hand was just passing 59. Then, he leisurely walked to the front of the bathroom and, in his usual relaxed voice, knocked on the bathroom door.

“Sunbae, are you alright?”

No answer.

He gently tried pushing down on the doorknob. The door was still locked. His throat felt dry.

Whenever the side effects appeared, Jungmin would endure it alone. It was because he had drawn a firm line, insisting it was a territory he had to bear himself. Joohwan found this frustrating, but he knew that stubbornness would never be broken, so he left him be. Yeah, fuck. It sucked, but he left him be.

“Sunbae.”

He called out again, calmly composing his voice. But his finger was already on the verge of pressing the number of the personal physician saved on his phone.

Just then, with a click-, Jungmin staggered out, his face whiter than a corpse’s.

Joohwan quickly caught Jungmin.

Thump-thump-

He’s alive. His heart is beating. His body temperature is within the normal range. For now—he’s okay.

“Let go.”

His cracked voice spoke of despair. Jungmin knew he hadn’t managed to become an Omega. Even after crossing the brink of death several times—even after having gone to the gates of hell and back today—he was still an Alpha.

Jungmin pushed Joohwan away and staggered as he picked up the clothes scattered on the floor and put them on.

Joohwan grabbed Jungmin’s arm.

“Rest.”

“I have to go.”

“Where are you going in this state?”

“Today… I promised to meet Shinwoo hyung.”

“Are you crazy? Cancel the appointment.”

“I can’t.”

“Sunbae! Do you think your body is in any normal condition right now?”

“The appointment was set first! You brought the medicine, so!”

Jungmin was about to say something but then clamped his mouth shut. It was he who, upon seeing the medicine bottle in Joohwan’s right hand right before his appointment, had dragged him to the hotel. Hoping he might become an Omega before meeting Shinwoo hyung…. Harboring such hope……. So he shouldn’t blame Joohwan.

“Sorry. I’ll take care of my own mess. You should get going, too.”

In the end, Joohwan could only watch Jungmin’s back as he shook off his hand and left. Joohwan ground his teeth.

He can’t understand how a mere Alpha can shake his heart like this. Fun? Interest? He knows it has already surpassed that level. He wants Shin Jungmin to become an Omega more than Jungmin himself does.

“No, actually, even if he’s an Alpha-”

It doesn’t matter. That would be fun in its own way.

“Yes, this is fun.”

What else could there be?

Joohwan quickly left the room and walked down the hotel corridor. He approached Jungmin, who was standing weakly in front of the elevator, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away. Jungmin resisted, but he was already completely drained, so he was dragged along as Joohwan led him.

After throwing Jungmin onto the bed, Joohwan took the phone from Jungmin’s pocket and sent a message to Shinwoo. A simple message saying he couldn’t make it today. It was the maximum courtesy he could offer for Jungmin’s sake.

Tossing the phone far away, Kim Joohwan pressed his lips to the exhausted Jungmin’s. His blood was staining Jungmin’s cheek, but neither of them cared.

Jungmin stared blankly at the distant phone before closing his eyes.

It’s hard. His body is tired, but his heart is also slowly growing weary and fading. But this is something he chose. He doesn’t resent Joohwan. He doesn’t resent Yoo Shinwoo either. He just wishes that a warm and cozy spring would come for him soon. But then he shook his head. Spring was a luxury for him. How pathetic must he be for that warm spring to not be able to settle and to disappear so quickly…. Horribly so….

✽✽✽

That day, from the day Soohan and Jungmin had their talk, the relationship between the two returned to how it was before.

“So? Why did you two fight?”

Sooeun asked poutily, saying she had been worried.

“Just because.”

Soohan blurted out.

“I was worried!”

“You get closer by fighting.”

“Are you two kids?”

“Haha.”

Soohan let out a pleasant laugh. He laughed so brightly that Sooeun was bewildered, and Jungmin, his face flushing with heat, just kept fanning himself.

Jungmin didn’t completely trust Soohan’s feelings, and he certainly hadn’t accepted him. Soohan, likewise, didn’t want Jungmin to accept him right away. He hoped that Jungmin would slowly fall for him and come to believe in his feelings.

So, without being burdensome, he slowly dug into Jungmin’s heart.

They increased their time alone, whether it was watching movies, drinking together, or chatting at home…. They closed the distance by spending time that was the same as before, yet subtly different.

Thanks to this, Jungmin let down his guard around Soohan, occasionally leaning on his shoulder to fall asleep, or flashing a shy smile when their eyes met… showing a cuteness that was, from Soohan’s perspective, unbearable.

Because he had thought of Jungmin as an Alpha and his little sister’s fiancé until now, he hadn’t noticed, but Jungmin had a side to him that wanted to lean on someone. That was cute and lovely. He couldn’t help it even if he was looking through rose-colored glasses.

And he wanted those rose-colored glasses to be on him alone. Because if other people saw that side of Jungmin, he felt like he would be seized by an unbearable jealousy and end up killing someone. That’s how scary an Alpha’s possessiveness was.

“Ah, I should get going.”

Jungmin, who had been casually talking about his day while drinking at a bar, looked at his watch and put down his glass.

“Already?”

Soohan grabbed Jungmin’s wrist, his voice full of disappointment. This level of skinship was nothing now. Jungmin made a troubled expression.

“Sorry, I have to go to my parents’ house today.”

At Soohan’s request, he had completely dropped the formal speech. Strangely, ever since he started speaking casually, his heart had started to feel ticklish. Soohan drooped like a dog abandoned by its owner.

“Don’t tell me it’s because of your damn brother.”

“Haha, bingo. Youngmin is making a fuss about getting a divorce again, so I have to go listen to him.”

“How long do you have to clean up your brother’s messes?”

“I know, right. I want to stop too… but I guess I can’t since we’re brothers. I think this is why they say blood is thicker than water.”

As Jungmin got up from his seat, Soohan grabbed his coat and helped him put it on. He could feel people’s stares. It was obvious that the two Alphas were giving off a strange vibe, and people seemed to be whispering. Jungmin was bothered by it, but Soohan himself wore a smile that said he wasn’t bothered at all as he caressed the back of Jungmin’s hand.

After leaving the bar and finally placating the reluctant Soohan enough to say their goodbyes, Soohan came and hugged Jungmin from behind.

“What are you doing…. What if someone sees?”

“Charging up on your pheromones until tomorrow. And marking.”

“Hyung!”

Before Jungmin could say anything, Soohan poured his pheromones onto him. Since they were both Alphas, a pheromone shower wasn’t necessary, but Soohan always made sure to pour his pheromones onto Jungmin at least once.

But unfortunately, Jungmin was an Alpha. He couldn’t help but feel a natural repulsion to the pheromone shower. Soohan knew this but didn’t let go. Jungmin, in turn, didn’t run away, as if to say he accepted his possessiveness.

“Go.”

“Now you’re rushing me to go.”

Jungmin laughed as if it was absurd and hailed a taxi. Seeing Soohan watching until the taxi departed and grew distant, Jungmin let out a long sigh. Little by little, the feeling of not wanting to be apart from him was growing. It had now become so distinct that its shape was visible. At the same time, his anxiety also grew. This was probably his own problem.

Jungmin soon saw a text from Soohan cursing out Youngmin and smiled. Joy, warmth, comfort, and a sense of stability…. And his anxiety grew another handspan.

✽✽✽

By the time Jungmin arrived home, a storm had already passed through the house. His mother was sighing heavily, and his father was scolding Youngmin. Jungmin took the sniffling Youngmin and went up to his room.

His face looked too tired to talk, so Jungmin didn’t ask any more questions and focused on making him comfortable enough to sleep. Before he knew it, Youngmin was whining for Jungmin to sleep with him.

Thinking that he was still immature, but also feeling sorry for him, he decided to grant Youngmin’s request and lay down beside him.

Youngmin hugged Jungmin tightly.

“Aren’t you hot?”

“Are you?”

At Youngmin’s question, Jungmin shook his head. At that, Youngmin hugged him even tighter and cried. Jungmin patted Youngmin. That was all he could do.