Correction Chapter 9

One day, Jungmin was about to close the curtains when he saw a dark figure lurking by the front gate. He initially thought it was a drunk person because of their staggering gait, but he soon recognized the familiar figure and ran outside without a word to anyone.

Opening the gate, he found the figure leaning against the wall.

“Shinwoo hyung!”

Jungmin quickly grabbed the man’s arm. His body was cold, indicating he’d been there for a while. What surprised Jungmin more was the smell of alcohol on Shinwoo. He was an adult and a college student, so drinking wasn’t unusual, but Jungmin had never seen him drink before, making the sight shocking. Even more so, to see him this incapacitated.

“Hyung, wake up. Shinwoo hyung!”

“Ah….”

The bowed head lifted at the sound of Jungmin’s voice. Shinwoo blinked a few times, then pulled Jungmin by the nape of his neck into an embrace.

“Huh?”

Thump-thump-thump-thump—

Jungmin’s heart pounded like it was going to burst. The childish thought of wanting time to stop right then and there crossed his mind. It felt unbelievable, yet at the same time, incredibly happy. Shinwoo hyung was hugging him. For the first time.

“Hyung. Hyung… Shinwoo hyung….”

Hyung, you know who I am, right? Right? You’re hugging me because you know I’m Jungmin, right? Then hug me tighter.

Jungmin hugged Shinwoo back, calling his name longingly. Shinwoo tightened his embrace around Jungmin, who was burrowing into his chest. I’m so happy. Is this embrace finally mine? Is it really happening? Hope blossomed in Jungmin’s heart.

“Young…min…”

But that hope shattered in less than a minute.

“Youngmin… Look at me… Me… I’m your alpha….”

His voice slurred with intoxication, his tongue tangled, but he pronounced Youngmin’s name perfectly.

‘Hyung, do you know? Youngmin went out on a date with his new alpha and isn’t home yet. He doesn’t even care about you…’

Jungmin wanted to tell him the truth, not the lie, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt like pushing someone already struggling further into despair. More than anyone, Jungmin knew how devastating that feeling would be.

Jungmin didn’t try to escape Shinwoo’s embrace. Instead, he hugged him tighter and cried. I’ll love you as much as you’re hurting. I’ll be your omega. So please, hyung, don’t hurt. Just wait a little longer. I’ll become an omega soon.

The next day, Jungmin went to the doctor. His awakening fever hadn’t come. He asked for another thorough examination. As expected, the results were normal. The doctor explained that while his anxiety due to Youngmin’s awakening was understandable, he needed to be patient.

The doctor’s suggestion that his anxiety might be the reason for the delay resonated with Jungmin, and he decided to relax. Instead, he began preparing to be an omega. He read books, learning about omega characteristics and heat cycles.

“Senior, you seem really determined to become an omega.”

Joohwan spoke, sitting across from Jungmin in the library.

The exams had just ended, so the library was nearly empty with plenty of seats available. Jungmin frowned, ignoring Joohwan. Why did he have to sit right across from him?

“What if you become an alpha instead?”

Joohwan uttered the words Jungmin least wanted to hear. Anger welled up inside him, but not wanting to stoop to Joohwan’s level, Jungmin stood up without responding.

“Correction.”

Correction? Jungmin looked back at Joohwan with a confused expression, understanding the word but not its context.

“Are you familiar with correction, Senior Jungmin?”

“You mean like correcting mistakes?”

Joohwan smiled, satisfied that Jungmin was finally looking at him.

“The meaning isn’t different, but what I’m referring to is something else.”

“What?”

Joohwan rose from his chair and approached Jungmin. As he got closer, Jungmin felt a sense of pressure and backed away until his back hit the bookshelf.

What is he trying to do? Shouldn’t I be calling for help? As Jungmin debated his next move, Joohwan trapped him with his hands on either side, looking down at him. Perhaps due to being a dominant alpha, he seemed even larger than their first encounter.

“Hey, move.”

The library was empty. Where did everyone go?

“I told the librarian I’d close up since it’s almost closing time. So, no one’s here right now.”

What is he planning? Being around this guy only makes him angry. He’s like a snake; Jungmin can’t figure him out.

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave, so move.”

“I’m trying to give you some good information…but your attitude is disappointing.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Shall I tell you? It’s information you’ll definitely like.”

“No, I don’t want to know. So move.”

He could push him away or even punch him, but Jungmin didn’t want to touch Kim Joohwan. He wanted to avoid any entanglement with this guy. That’s what frustrated him, this helpless situation.

“How to become an omega.”

Jungmin’s expression froze at those words.

“Well, it’s not that grand, but a doctor from our company’s research lab came to our house recently and told me something interesting. I immediately thought I should tell Senior Jungmin. Aren’t I thoughtful?”

“Are you… mocking me? There’s no such method in the world.”

“Yes, there isn’t. But we can create one artificially. For example, changing secondary gender with medication.”

“Is your company developing something like that?”

“Not currently. But it’s being researched.”

“So it’s not possible yet. Who knows how long drug development will take… If you’re just going to spout useless information, can you move now?”

“It’s not medication. There might be a way to expect faster results. Aren’t you curious?”

Joohwan tested Jungmin, slightly loosening his grip. It was a gesture that implied Jungmin could leave if he wanted to. Yes, he should leave, but… he couldn’t. Even if what this guy was saying was a lie, shouldn’t he at least hear him out? Maybe there’s a clue somewhere in his words. Jungmin gritted his teeth and stared at Kim Joohwan.

“I’ll kill you if you’re playing with me.”

“I would never play with you, senior. I’m a kind junior. I’m even bringing you good information.”

“Stop with the strange talk. So, what’s this method?”

Kim Joohwan smiled and said slyly, “You’re so cold to me.” He slowly raised his head, meeting Jungmin’s eyes. His gaze was serious.

“During the awakening fever… isn’t that when it’s decided whether someone becomes an omega or an alpha? It’s a precarious time, so sexual intercourse is prohibited. Because you never know what might happen.”

“So?”

“They say that if you sleep with an alpha during that time, you might become an omega.”

Joohwan’s whispered words were more shocking than expected. Jungmin looked at him with shaking eyes. Joohwan moved his lips away from Jungmin’s ear and looked at him directly, smiling.

“Is… is that true?”

“Yes, that’s what’s called correction.”

So that’s why he said ‘correction’ earlier.

“If you feel like you’re going to become an alpha during your awakening fever, try sleeping with an alpha. You might become an omega. I don’t know if there are actual cases, but since the doctor mentioned it, it can’t be completely baseless.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? That I hope you become an omega, that I’d pray for it. I’ll say it again, I really hope you become an omega. Oh, dear. I haven’t gotten the key from the librarian. I’ll go get it. You should leave before then. I have to close the library.”

With that, Joohwan stepped away from Jungmin and strolled out of the library. Jungmin stared after him for a long time.

“Correction…”

He didn’t know if it was true or not, but it sounded plausible. It was true that sexual intercourse was forbidden during the awakening fever because it was unknown what might happen. Why hadn’t he thought of exploiting that? This way, he’d have a backup plan. Jungmin bit his lip hard.

Thanks to Joohwan, Jungmin’s mind was filled with the word “correction.”

Just in case, after that day, he read countless papers and related articles online, as well as in the library. There was certainly no concrete information about that method. However, there was this warning:

Sex is prohibited during the awakening fever. It can affect the awakening process. Be especially careful of sexual intercourse between alphas and omegas.

A warning he had previously dismissed as common sense now felt ominous due to Kim Joohwan’s words.