Correction Chapter 99

“…Uh…”

He had thought his heart would pound loudly if a situation like this ever came. But it didn’t. Instead, his heart stopped. No, the entire world stopped. It felt as if the air, time… everything that flowed had stopped, and only Yoo Shinwoo and himself were left adrift in the world.

It was what he had wanted to hear so badly. He thought they were words he could never have for himself.

“Shinwoo hyung…”

Jungmin pushed Shinwoo away and looked at his face. He was trying to brush it off as a joke if his face was full of playfulness. But it was not. His eyes were quite serious.

“Really… is it for real? You’re not joking, are you?”

“Do I look like a bad person who would say something like this as a joke when I know how you feel?”

“No, that’s not what I mean… it’s just…”

As Jungmin looked flustered, Shinwoo smiled. Then he stroked Jungmin’s hair.

“Jungmin, I’m serious.”

“But hyung, I’m an alpha… because I’m an alpha. Because I’m an alpha…”

He did not know what to say or how to say it, so he kept spouting strange things. No, in a way, it was the most important thing. After all, nothing else had stood between him and Shinwoo until now.

“You said you’d become my omega, didn’t you?”

He wanted to ask, ‘What if I’m an alpha? What happens… if I stay an alpha?’ but he was afraid. Jungmin simply kept his mouth shut, unable to muster the courage to see what answer would come from him, or how that gentle look in his eyes would change.

“Jungmin.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

“You don’t look happy.”

“No way. I’m so happy. I’m just too happy to speak.”

“Really?”

“Hyung, that hurts. You don’t know my heart that well?”

“Of course not. I know it so well that I’m saying this to you, an alpha. Then we’re dating starting today, right? And when you become an omega, let’s officially mate and live together. If I had my way, I’d ask you to come to my house right now… but I understand the worries you mentioned… and I haven’t passed that period yet either.”

Ah… did he say three months? No, it was two months left now. Jungmin mulled over what Shinwoo had said before. He had said that if a compatible omega did not appear even after the period passed, he would live on by taking medication to endure it.

“I’m going to do my best for us to be together. Jungmin. So you too… I hope you’ll think about it a lot and do your best.”

Shinwoo’s words did not immediately register. He just thought, 

‘How can I do my best any more than this?’ before soon reaching the conclusion, ‘It’s still not enough…’ 

That’s right. He had tried many things, but the problem was that he was still an alpha. Wondering how he could be by Shinwoo’s side in this state, Jungmin could do nothing but nod at Shinwoo’s words.

Unlike how he had thought he would be endlessly happy, his heart and mind were a mess. Whenever that happened, Shinwoo would contact Jungmin and remind him that they were in a ‘dating relationship.’ Thanks to that, his head cleared up a little while preparing to move. First, he had to cut out all the contradictions.

Let’s not give up on becoming an omega. That way, I can stay by Shinwoo’s side longer, and Shinwoo can be safe too. I have to save him… Let’s not forget that I’ve run solely toward that goal, Jungmin once again resolved. But in the midst of it all, there was just one thing that bothered him.

Jungmin sat on the sofa, staring at his phone for a long time, then made a call as if he had made up his mind. The phone did not ring more than twice before the other person answered.

—Yes, sunbae.

Yikes. Why did he answer the phone so fast? As if he had been waiting.

—Jungmin sunbae?

“Ah, yeah. Kim Joohwan, it’s me.”

—Yes, I know who it is. Jungmin sunbae.

What’s this, why does his voice sound so happy.

“Do you have time, by any chance?”

—Hmm… what kind of time are you talking about?

It was understandable that he would ask that. The only times they had met so far were at Kim Joohwan’s house because of the medicine.

“I wanted to talk about something. I’d like to meet outside. I can make time for you. I’m unemployed anyway.”

—Weren’t you busy because you were meeting Shinwoo sunbae?

What does he want to hear?

“I have time to meet you.”

—Yes, I understand. I’ll decide on a time and place and contact you.

“Okay.”

Even as he hung up, Jungmin felt strange because of how happy Kim Joohwan seemed throughout the call. And a few minutes later, a message came from him with a place and time written down.

Although he had said he could pick any date, it was for tonight, and the place was a recently opened foreign hotel’s restaurant that even the most well-connected people found hard to book these days.

Jungmin sighed and got up from his seat. He could not avoid it any longer. So he had to reach a firm conclusion and meet Kim Joohwan to talk.

✽✽✽

The meeting place was more private than he had expected. Although it was a private room, the size of the room surpassed that of an ordinary apartment, making it feel almost like renting an entire floor. On top of that, it was shaped to embrace the Han River, and the night view was more beautiful than any he had ever seen, which surprised Jungmin.

Come to think of it, he had never been to a place like this with Shinwoo. Surprisingly, he liked ordinary things. He preferred crowded places over places with atmosphere, and he enjoyed a normal daily life, spending his days ordinarily.

It’s because he’s sick, right? If Shinwoo’s body becomes healthy and there are no longer any restrictions from pheromones… he wanted to come to a place like this and have time just for the two of them, Jungmin thought as he sat down at the guided seat.

“Sunbae.”

He heard a murmur, and soon a man entered. As expected of a dominant alpha, he exuded a heavy, settled-down aura. His looks were also far from ordinary, so everyone around could not help but admire him. Knowing this well himself, the way he was dressed up today was unusually dapper compared to his usual self.

“Did you just come from a blind date?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you so dressed up?”

“If a concubine wants to look good for her master, she must first adorn herself with care. The next thing is the night’s work.”

Kim Joohwan said with a smile as he handed his jacket to a waiter and sat in a chair. Well, that could be true. He had not seen the working Kim Joohwan that often.

“If you like it, I will dress like this every time we meet.”

“Are you going to be like that at home too?”

“If sunbae wants me to?”

“Never mind. Do that when you get a lover later.”

He had expected him to retort as soon as Jungmin finished speaking, but an unexpected silence began. Why is his mood suddenly down again.

“I’ve pre-ordered the meal. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

After the waiter bowed and left, only the melody of soft music and the two of them, Jungmin and Kim Joohwan, remained in the spacious area. Feeling a bit thirsty for some reason, Jungmin kept drinking water. As he was about to pour water into the empty glass and drink again, Kim Joohwan reached out his arm to stop him.

“Delicious food will keep coming, so don’t fill up on water.”

“…Okay.”

“How’s your body? Are you taking your medicine well?”

“You already know because I report it every day.”

Although he was not sending the messages directly to Kim Joohwan but telling Mr. Kim.

“Still, I want to hear it from you now that I’m seeing your face.”

“I’m fine.”

Though he said that, it was true that he had not fully recovered yet. His muscles gradually disappeared, and eventually, he was losing weight. He had tried working out just in case, but his body had no strength, so he could not even exercise properly. Maybe some cardio, at best…? Jungmin was holding back, thinking he might get hurt if he did weight training in his current state.

Still, thanks to the medicine Kim Joohwan gave him, his condition did not worsen any further. His energy had returned quite a bit, and he was able to go about his daily life.

“There will be one more supplement that’s right for sunbae. Let’s try taking that along with the other medicine from now on. People can’t have no muscle at all. The pleasure of holding you is starting to disappear, so I’m starting to get a little sad these days. It was sunbae’s only good point.”

“Hey.”

Jungmin instinctively looked around. As expected, there was no one there, thankfully.

“So, what did you want to talk about today?”

“Huh?”

“You asking to meet like this… it’s not because sunbae is actually paying attention to his concubine stuck in a back room. There must be a reason. Are you going to kick me out, saying you’re tired of this concubine act now?”

Kim Joohwan took a sip of wine with a smile. He probably said it as a joke, but it was not a joke to Jungmin. Maybe… he had called him to say exactly that.

As Jungmin remained silent, Kim Joohwan’s smiling expression hardened. He slowly placed his wine glass on the table and then let out a light sigh.

Then he soon smiled and tapped his fingers on the table.

Tap, tap.

At the sound, Jungmin met Kim Joohwan’s eyes, which he had been avoiding for a moment.