Correction Chapter 76

‘We.’

He didn’t know exactly what that word meant, but he knew it was a word that weighed heavily on his heart.

The past, brought up so suddenly at dawn today, continued to rattle and make a loud noise. Jungmin suddenly felt a wave of fatigue, sat down heavily on the bed, pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, and closed his eyes.

─Sunbae.

“What?”

─You were quiet, so I thought you were going to hang up….

“Ah, I was about to.”

─Haha, don’t do that, let’s talk a little longer. I’ve been thinking for a while, but sunbae, your voice is nice to listen to on the phone too.

Why is he suddenly in such a gentle mode again? Hah, I should have just hung up the phone.

“I’m hanging up.”

─I understand. I understand very well your desire not to talk to me, sunbae. But sunbae, call me whenever you need me. I’ll be waiting.

Goosebumps broke out all over his body. Resisting the urge to shout, ‘Why would I?’, Jungmin hung up without a word and lay down on the bed. For some reason, it felt like the days were getting longer and longer since Shinwoo returned.

✽✽✽

Youngmin finally came to the research lab. Hearing the news, Jungmin rushed over. Shinwoo was still hospitalized. He thought the two of them meeting was bound to happen someday, but he wondered if meeting like this was really the right thing to do. No, actually, he didn’t want them to meet. What if Youngmin became Shinwoo’s mate? If he imprinted on him….

“Ah….”

Jungmin stopped his feet that were running toward the lab.

‘Oh my god.’

He clutched his aching chest and took a deep breath. It was a repeat of that time again. He had buried and hidden away his past love, thinking it was just youthful recklessness. He had resolved never to make such a mistake again, but seeing himself repeat it once more, he thought he was a slow learner.

But this time was different from before. Now, it wasn’t a matter of awakening as an alpha or omega. Shinwoo’s life was on the line. If before he thought everything would be solved by just becoming an omega, now he had to become an omega, and his pheromones had to be a match for him. It was a path that had already flowed too far away.

As Kim Joohwan said yesterday, maybe ‘we are in a position to give our blessing’. Right, it was a love he had overcome, at least for a while. Hiding it away again would be a piece of cake. So, thinking he could handle it gracefully this time, Jungmin steeled his heart.

“What are you doing?”

At the sudden voice, Jungmin turned around. Youngmin was with Kim Joohwan. Kim Joohwan smiled upon seeing Jungmin, but then frowned slightly when he saw Jungmin’s hand on his chest.

“Sunbae, are you hurt somewhere?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine. More importantly, Shin Youngmin, what are you doing here?”

“Ayy~ I said I’d do it because it sounded like fun~”

“Youngmin. This isn’t a problem that can be solved just because it’s ‘fun’.”

“Jungmin~ Don’t think so deeply. Let’s go quickly. I want to see Shinwoo hyung.”

Youngmin pushed Jungmin and headed for Shinwoo’s hospital room. Jungmin sighed and moved his heavy feet.

“Are you really alright?”

Kim Joohwan asked, as if to confirm once more. His tone was so blunt you couldn’t tell if he was worried or not, so why ask like this.

“Mind your own business.”

“Haha, so it was a needless worry.”

Joohwan shrugged and stood next to Youngmin. It would be better if those two just got together and lived happily ever after, they actually look really good together. The world might not be at peace then, but at least Jungmin’s insides would quiet down.

“Huh? Shinwoo hyung!”

Youngmin smiled brightly and called Shinwoo’s name so loudly that the hospital corridor echoed. Thanks to him, Shinwoo, who was just coming out of his room, flinched in surprise, then his eyes slowly widened in disbelief as he saw Youngmin.

“Shin… Youngmin?”

“Wow!! Shinwoo hyung! It’s been so long!!”

Youngmin ran to him and threw himself into his arms like when they were kids. It was his way of showing affection, but it was awkward for both the person watching and the person on the receiving end.

Shinwoo seemed flustered at first, but soon he was stroking Youngmin’s hair. Really….

“It feels like we’ve gone back to that time.”

Kim Joohwan, standing beside him, said what Jungmin was only thinking.

“This was always the positioning, wasn’t it.”

Shinwoo and Youngmin looking at each other, and Jungmin a few steps behind. And Kim Joohwan was always standing behind Jungmin like that.

“Whatever, Shinwoo hyung, are you allowed to be walking around now?”

The two were happily greeting each other and asking how they were doing. Not wanting to get in between them for no reason, Jungmin faced Joohwan and asked. At that, Joohwan smiled again and spoke as if amused.

“It really feels like we’ve returned to the past…?”

“What?”

“The times you look at me are always when you don’t want to see those two stuck together. It’s exactly like that right now.”

“Haah…. Kim Joohwan, I don’t know what you’re mistaken about, but I don’t have those kinds of feelings for Shinwoo hyung anymore. Now just give me an answer. I’m asking if hyung is okay.”

“Yes, he’s fine. His levels have dropped significantly, and his breathing has returned to normal. He can be discharged in about two days. Well, if Youngmin sunbae’s pheromone compatibility with Shinwoo sunbae turns out to be good today, it’ll be a permanent discharge, though.”

Right… I’d rather it be that way.

“But is it okay for Youngmin to be stuck to sunbae like that? Even if he’s gotten better, isn’t there any effect from the pheromones?”

“Shinwoo sunbae must have taken his medication right now, so I think it’ll be fine…. Come to think of it, Youngmin sunbae, I can’t sense his pheromones. Me neither.”

Kim Joohwan said, as if thinking about something. Now that he mentioned it, it occurred to Jungmin too. It had been quite a while since Jungmin had smelled Youngmin’s pheromones. What happened? Was that guy always this good at containing them? He used to always leak pheromones everywhere…. Did he finally get his act together?

“Well, we’ll find out when we test him.”

At Joohwan’s words, Jungmin nodded and approached the two of them.

“What? What are you talking about right now?”

Shinwoo grabbed both of Youngmin’s shoulders with a serious face.

“I came to get my pheromones tested today~ To see the compatibility with you, hyung. I heard you’re sick? Then I have to help~ What kind of relationship do we have.”

At Youngmin’s lighthearted words, Jungmin put a hand to his forehead. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Shinwoo’s face.

“Youngmin…. This isn’t such a light matter.”

“I know. It’s a matter of life and death, how can it be a light matter. I wanted to help you, hyung. Or do you hate me?”

At Youngmin’s question, Shinwoo bit his lip as if in pain, then soon smiled sadly and stroked Youngmin’s head.

“How could I ever hate you. Thank you.”

“Hehe.”

Soon, researchers approached and took Youngmin away to brief him on what to do before the test. Shinwoo stared endlessly at Youngmin waving goodbye, and as soon as he was out of sight, he rushed over and grabbed Kim Joohwan by the collar.

“It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who brought Youngmin here?”

Joohwan raised both hands and looked at Shinwoo with a relaxed face.

“I was merely thinking of a way to cure my patient. Didn’t you also think that maybe, just maybe, Shin Youngmin sunbae could cure you, Yoo Shinwoo sunbae? And that’s why you decided to come to Korea so quickly.”

Ah…. So that’s how it was. Shinwoo hyung has been in love with Youngmin all this time. He denied it, but… like Jungmin, he had also been hiding and burying that heart. And just now, by seeing Youngmin and holding him in his arms, just like Jungmin, that buried heart must have been revealed again.

Unable to refute Joohwan’s words, Shinwoo lowered his head and slowly loosened his grip on the collar.

“I hope we hear good news today.”

Kim Joohwan said with a smile. But strangely, his eyes were not looking at Shinwoo, but at Jungmin. He wanted to ask what on earth he was thinking, but right now, he was more curious about Youngmin’s results than the schemes inside that sly head.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Jungmin approached Shinwoo and checked on him. He was staring blankly at the floor, his head bowed.

“Jungmin…. I didn’t want this.”

“I know, hyung. This is Youngmin’s choice. So you don’t need to feel sorry or guilty. If it turns out Youngmin is a match…. Then that’s a good thing. Since Youngmin came here to be tested, he’s well aware that he can’t escape that responsibility.”

“Really… that kid?”

Only then did Shinwoo say with a laugh. After all, Shinwoo knew Youngmin as well as Jungmin did. He probably knew about half the reason why Youngmin came here. That’s why he must be more worried. And as always, it was Jungmin’s role to ease those worries.

“Hyung, let’s go.”

Jungmin patted Shinwoo’s shoulder, giving him courage. He didn’t know what conclusion lay beyond that door right now… but he could only hope that it would be a happy conclusion for at least one of them.