My Alpha Era Began with Gongjindan Chapter 108

As I rubbed him vigorously, Jung Pureum looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“What are you looking at?”

“Hyung, could it be….”

“….”

“Are you jealous?”

Come to think of it, I’ve never been particularly patient since I was young. Even though my constitution is Soeumin, my temper is fiery.

Monk Mujeong said I was a Water attribute, but in my opinion, I’m a Fire attribute. Fortune-telling and Yin-Yang Five Elements aren’t always the answer.

So a generous, broad-minded understanding isn’t really my style. It’s more like me to charge at Jung Pureum like a crazy Chihuahua, yelling, “Look only at me! Touch only me!”

I’ve been trying too hard to act like an adult.

Because Jung Pureum is eight years younger than me, I instinctively tried to act mature. Even though I’m actually the grand champion of not acting my age.

“Don’t be surprised, Pureum.”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I’m so jealous I’m going crazy. I think you have too many fans….”

At my words, Jung Pureum’s face brightened. He seemed to like being the object of jealousy.

Right, now this might be fun for you. But being the object of jealousy isn’t always fun. I’m already this clingy and pathetic now, and it’s only going to get worse.

“I’m so pissed off. No, I hear from people around me that it’s obvious we’re marked, so why are they getting their pheromones all over you? The more I think about it, the more absurd it is!”

“So that’s why hyung was rubbing my arm like you were doing laundry.”

“Seriously, it’s just absurd. Absurd! And I can’t even say anything to the patients.”

Jung Pureum’s eyes sparkled as he clung to me. He boldly demanded that I cover the other person’s pheromones with my own.

Actually, even if he hadn’t asked, I was planning to do that.

Holding Jung Pureum tightly, I rubbed sandalwood scent all over him here and there so everyone would know he was a soon-to-be married man. I’ll cover everything with the scent of herbal medicine ingredients. Just because the ceremony isn’t done yet doesn’t mean he’s not already taken.

“Seriously, other athletes don’t have fan cafes that big. Why is yours so massive?”

“Because I won three gold medals….”

“And because you’re handsome! It’s absurd! I’m pissed off because my partner is so great!”

Even though I was throwing a full-blown tantrum, Jung Pureum was laughing happily. How can you laugh? I’m about to explode inside.

Jung Pureum will probably never know what the emotion of ‘jealousy’ feels like. Because I’ll never win three gold medals like him. Naturally, I won’t have fans either.

Besides, the only person in this world who could like me romantically is Jung Pureum. Jung Pureum always thinks, because of Nam Jungyoon’s nonsense, that someone else might make a move on me, but that’s a huge misconception.

“You don’t have to worry about anyone else hitting on me, but I have to worry myself to death….”

“Hyung, what are you saying? Why wouldn’t I worry about someone else hitting on you….”

“Why would you need to? I can’t win three gold medals like you.”

In the first place, I can’t even compete in the Olympics. Unless they suddenly add Korean medicine as an event.

At my words, Jung Pureum smiled like a Buddha. He had the expression of someone who had attained enlightenment, but it seemed he had given up explaining further to me.

“Right, since you’re at the clinic anyway, let’s sort this out.”

“What is it?”

“The contract.”

I stopped rubbing Jung Pureum roughly, opened the drawer of my wooden desk, and pulled out the still-crumpled contract.

“Now that we’re dating, according to the contract terms, it’s void.”

“That’s true.”

“In that sense, can I get rid of this?”

“…Was that contract really that bad?”

“After I got this, I kept dreaming about going to court for a while.”

At my answer, Jung Pureum looked pitiful again. But I wanted to get rid of this contract quickly.

“Actually, that was just a ploy to seduce hyung….”

“A ploy? Not a lawsuit?”

“Hyung is really clueless and stupid.”

“I’m… stupid?”

That can’t be. I was a recognized genius in medical school. Not only did I surprise the professors, but I also consistently ranked first in my department.

Thinking that far, I realized what Jung Pureum meant by ‘stupid.’ He meant I’m oblivious. But I’ve gotten a little more perceptive lately….

I slowly read through the contract again.

Looking at the clause that said dating was mandatory, it really did seem like a ploy. Now that I knew the truth, I could see the ploy in every clause. Right? It was totally a seduction tactic?

I carefully folded the contract I was about to tear to shreds and put it back in the desk drawer. Looking at it again, the dream about going to court didn’t seem that bad. If you think about it, the court is a good place.

“You’re not getting rid of it?”

“Now that I know it was your ploy, it’s cute. I’ll just keep it as a souvenir.”

“….”

“I’m not going to sue my spouse, am I?”

At my question, Jung Pureum laughed. Saying he’d rather kiss than sue, he came at me, and I couldn’t resist, so I kissed him.

It’s been a long time since I lost any awareness of doing this in a sacred Korean medicine clinic.

∞ ∞ ∞

<Catch Man> is a popular variety show well-known not only domestically but also overseas. I heard it’s especially popular in Southeast Asia.

A program with guaranteed average ratings, and a bunch of gold medalists appear? Of course the ratings would jump. Last year, when a famous soccer player appeared as a guest, it also recorded its highest ratings ever.

—I have something I’m curious about regarding Pureum.

—Oh my, anyway, whenever a handsome male guest appears, she gets all excited.

—What? Why are you picking on me? Everyone was secretly curious too!

—Fine, fine. I’ll let you ask Pureum a question. What are you curious about? Go ahead and ask.

—Are you really marrying ‘Yeonghwa hyung’? Did he accept your proposal?

—Wow, she’s asking that right off the bat.

One of the younger female fixed panelists looked at Jung Pureum with eyes full of curiosity.

When Jung Pureum nodded awkwardly, cheers erupted not only from the fixed panelists but also from the other athletes appearing with him.

—Pureum, can I tell them about the dorm?

—What about it?

—You know, that time you suddenly slammed the table while eating.

—What, what. Please tell us.

One middle-aged shooting athlete appearing with Jung Pureum laughed heartily. Jung Pureum, seeming to guess what she was about to say, urgently grabbed the hem of her clothes.

Ignoring him, the shooting athlete happily recounted what happened at the dorm.

—So, out of nowhere, Pureum asks while eating if oblivious people are popular. I was pretty surprised. I thought, even the great Jung Pureum can make a frustrated face.
—Could you make that frustrated face for us just once?
—Why would oblivious people be popular?
—…Ah, does that mean that Yeonghwa hyung is oblivious?
—Not only is that Yeonghwa hyung oblivious, but apparently he’s also popular. That kid was boiling with jealousy? Pureum here won three gold medals just to propose to him.

Stupid Jung Pureum… slamming the table while eating over something like that—he’s so stupid and cute.

While I was watching the screen with a pleased expression, the shooting athlete excitedly spilled all the stories of Jung Pureum’s unrequited love that he’d told her. More than half of it was stuff I didn’t even know.

It was entertaining to listen to, but as the person involved, I felt a bit absurd. I should send a letter of protest saying I’m not that oblivious! I did miss the countless times he openly said he liked me, but still, I didn’t put up walls like that… did I? Anyway, it wasn’t that bad. At least in my memory.

Fortunately, Jung Pureum grabbed the shooting athlete mid-sentence and told her to stop. His ears were bright red, so he seemed embarrassed. All the cast members looked warmly at the young and cute Jung Pureum.

Just as that scene was about to end on a warm note.

—If it were me, I wouldn’t have missed those signals.

Kim Soyoung, another gold medalist from the last Osaka Olympics and the youngest member of the women’s archery team, cut in.

My mouth fell open in shock. Because Kim Soyoung is my favorite athlete after Jung Pureum. It felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head by my favorite athlete.

—What a shame. If we’d met when we were younger, would there have been a chance with Pureum?

…And Kim Soyoung didn’t just hit me once; she started hitting me with combos.

The <Catch Man> production crew, oblivious to my feelings, didn’t miss such a provocative editing point. Damn broadcasters! Why are you making a weird love line for a guy getting married in December!

A BGM more suited for a dating show started playing, and the subtitles turned pink. The fixed panelists read the room and appropriately jeered and teased, creating a lively scene.

—Would there have been a chance? It’s not that I liked him because I knew him for a long time; it’s that I like him because he’s that person….

Jung Pureum did his best to cut off the pinkish current the production crew was pushing. Anyone could see Jung Pureum was in a “Oh please, don’t pair me with that person” state.

But despite Jung Pureum’s desperate efforts, the production crew, aiming to milk ratings with provocative elements, kept putting Jung Pureum and Kim Soyoung together whenever possible.

Not only did they put them on the same team, but during the segment where the athletes tried out each other’s sports, they blatantly paired Kim Soyoung and Jung Pureum together.

Thanks to that, under the pretext of archery practice, a pose was created where Kim Soyoung was hugging Jung Pureum from behind.

The production crew didn’t miss this scene. They slapped pink subtitles on it again. Shoving in the nonsense that a handsome man and a beautiful woman look good doing anything.

Suddenly, a murderous intent toward the public broadcaster surged within me. Are you allowed to fabricate like this when you’re gobbling up viewers’ license fees? Even if it’s a variety show, this is too much. Jung Pureum has nothing to do with Kim Soyoung….

I watched the rest of the broadcast in a state near collapse. I was furious, but I couldn’t miss Jung Pureum holding a bow. You shouldn’t get caught up in small things and lose sight of the big picture.