My Alpha Era Began with Gongjindan Chapter 109

But the more I watched <Catch Man>, the more outrageous it became.

The production crew trying to sell Kim Soyoung and Jung Pureum as a set was a problem, but the fixed panelists helping to set the scene on the side were no joke either.

The shooting athlete and other athletes appearing with them were telling Kim Soyoung to stop, but the fixed panelists excitedly spouted nonsense about how matters of the heart are unpredictable.

I suppose all these program formats are like this. For a while, love lines were constantly forming among the fixed panelists themselves too. They’re laying the groundwork for viewers to experience vicarious thrills. Once it catches on, few formulas sell as well as a love line.

However, knowing this rationally didn’t stop me from being pissed off. Because it was true that Kim Soyoung was feeding fuel to the fire for the production crew and panelists to act that way.

Kim Soyoung is, unusually for an athlete, an omega. Archery is a sport relatively less affected by secondary gender, but considering that overall, in the vast majority of sports, alphas have an advantage over betas or omegas, she’s a rare case.

Just as most people in the medical field are betas, people who make sports their career are usually alphas. After all, alphas find it easier to maintain muscle.

The biggest reason people admire alphas is their physical condition. Of course, among alphas there are constitutions that don’t build muscle easily, and among betas and omegas there are people who outperform alphas, but they are truly a minority.

And Kim Soyoung, on the surface, was an ordinary omega. Her natural bone structure and physique weren’t particularly large.

To overcome her inherent physical limitations as an athlete, Kim Soyoung must have gritted her teeth and worked incredibly hard. Archery is a sport that demands tremendous strength as well. That’s why I liked Kim Soyoung.

Even now, I think Kim Soyoung’s efforts are admirable. For an omega athlete to compete in the Olympics, teeming with alphas, and win a gold medal was by no means an easy feat.

However, apart from acknowledging her personal achievement, Kim Soyoung’s blatant interest in Jung Pureum was a bit bothersome. Why would she openly say something like he caught her eye because he was handsome, even back at the dorm?

It’s just that he’s indifferent, but Jung Pureum has always been popular with the opposite sex. Even Lee Seolwoo, who only likes handsome alphas, openly showed favor toward Jung Pureum, so this is a proven fact to some degree.

While I was watching Kim Soyoung with narrowed eyes, the highlight of <Catch Man>—the name-tag ripping chase—began.

Jung Pureum, who had already shown off his outstanding physical abilities in earlier segments, moved almost like a possessed person during the chase.

I already knew he was strong and fast, but the scene where he grabbed the stair railing with one hand and vaulted over to rip off the opposing team’s name tag was like a freak show.

—Couldn’t you spare me just once?

—Hmm….

—If you spare me, I’ll tell you the clue I got.

The problem was that Jung Pureum and Kim Soyoung were assigned to different teams only for the chase.

I barely had time to be happy that they were finally on separate teams. Because Jung Pureum was so good that he even caught Kim Soyoung.

Because Jung Pureum caught Kim Soyoung, the two bodies pressed together. My head knows it’s just a game, but the production crew, driven insane by ratings-chasing, slapped pink subtitles on it again, making my stomach churn.

—Oh, please.

—Tell me the clue first.

—You have to let me go first for me to talk. Or, should we just keep standing here like this?

Kim Soyoung was just stalling to avoid being eliminated. I tried to think as rationally as possible. Yes, how disappointing would it be to be eliminated early on a famous variety show?

But when Kim Soyoung started openly flirting with Jung Pureum, my rationality snapped. Soyoung! That kid is marrying me in December! Stop flirting with him!

In the end, after a long back-and-forth, Jung Pureum let Kim Soyoung go. It was a rational decision. There was no benefit to overpowering Kim Soyoung and ripping off her name tag here—it would only hurt his image.

Jung Pureum was also the first to find the object using the clue Kim Soyoung gave him. Since those who knew more had already been eliminated with their name tags ripped off.

—Pureum, did you find the object?

—Not yet.

Jung Pureum shook his head at the fixed panelist who asked if he’d found it. Even when the panelist approached amiably and asked if he really hadn’t found it, he kept playing dumb.

Looking at him like this, he really seemed to have better facial expressions than most actors. It wouldn’t be easy to be that brazen after just finding the object and hiding it somewhere else.

—Oh? There’s Soyoung. Looks like she found something.

Then Kim Soyoung appeared again. Kim Soyoung was just then rummaging through the cabinet where Jung Pureum had hidden the object.

He couldn’t not catch her.

Jung Pureum and the fixed panelist, who were on the same team, caught Kim Soyoung together. Thanks to that, the object Jung Pureum had hidden wasn’t discovered, but the scene of Jung Pureum catching Kim Soyoung was recreated once more.

—Oh, it’s Pureum again? Why do I keep getting caught by Pureum?

—Sorry. I can’t let you go this time.

It was just a declaration that he was going to rip off her name tag, but the dating show BGM started playing. Ha… I’m really going crazy.

—The way you say you can’t let me go is exciting.

—….

—Yes, hold me tight.

What on earth is that person saying….

I had definitely sent Jung Pureum to a variety show, but I couldn’t understand why it had turned into a dating program.

Can’t they see we’re marked? Can’t they see he’s a soon-to-be married man?

On Jung Pureum’s left ring finger was the diamond ring I had newly fitted for him. Even though it was hidden by his clothes, the ring he had prepared was also hanging around his neck on a thin chain.

Yet Kim Soyoung didn’t stop flirting with Jung Pureum.

If she were doing this somewhere private, it’d be one thing, but doing it on broadcast left me speechless. I couldn’t tell whether this was Kim Soyoung’s true intention or just a concept for the show.

—What’s going on with you two?

Just then, the fixed panelist next to Jung Pureum’s eyes lit up. It was the attitude of a professional broadcaster who doesn’t miss an editing point.

I know they all have to make a living. But I was already collapsing from anger. What do you mean what’s going on? They’re strangers!

Regardless, Jung Pureum ripped off Kim Soyoung’s name tag. To the polite Jung Pureum, who apologized to the very end, Kim Soyoung responded with a fresh eye-smile.

I couldn’t possibly laugh.

Even though Jung Pureum won <Catch Man> and got a Jeju Island travel voucher, I couldn’t laugh. Because even in the ending shot, Kim Soyoung was standing next to Jung Pureum.

[Yeonghwa]

[Mom watched Catch Man live]

[But what’s up with that Kim Soyoung? Why is she acting like that toward our son-in-law?]

[You need to keep a tight leash on a younger husband]

[Yeonghwa?]

[Why aren’t you answering?]

Right after <Catch Man> aired, my mom left me a flurry of messages.

Seeing my mom’s messages, I felt a little relieved. It meant it wasn’t just me being oversensitive—even to others, Kim Soyoung seemed interested in Jung Pureum.

But realizing that, anger suddenly surged. Relieved my ass! That shouldn’t be how it looks to others either!

I shot up from my seat. I wanted to grab Jung Pureum right now and throw a fit telling him not to get friendly with Kim Soyoung.

Anyway, Jung Pureum lives right next door. And in a few months, we’re planning to move in together. So, if I wanted to, calling Jung Pureum out right now wasn’t difficult.

But I hesitated to knock on the next-door door right away. Is it really right to grab my prospective husband like catching a rat just because of one variety show? And I was the one who sent him there.

After a long deliberation, I plopped back down in my seat. After all, the one marrying Jung Pureum in two months is me, not Kim Soyoung. Meaning there’s no need to act pathetically.

[It’s just a variety show, after all]
[Mom, don’t worry too much either]

After sending a reply to my mom, I went to bed early to avoid thinking deeply about it.

No matter how much I’m the grand champion of not acting my age, I couldn’t be clingy with Jung Pureum over something like this. I have my pride too.

∞ ∞ ∞

Come to think of it, my social pride had run away a long time ago.

“I watched Catch Man yesterday too.”

Nam Jungyoon fumed and cursed Kim Soyoung on my behalf. But since I had thought positively of Kim Soyoung before <Catch Man> aired, Nam Jungyoon cursing her didn’t make me happy at all.

How scarce are decent alphas in this world…. I tried my best to understand Kim Soyoung. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand her.

“Pureum must be having a hard time too. There’ll be a lot of people trying to test the waters before the wedding.”

“Can’t they see he’s marked? Why are they testing the waters?”

“They’re just checking out the unattainable fruit. An alpha like Pureum is precious.”

“Is the world really that lacking in decent alphas?”

“Why are you asking me, an alpha, that question, sunbae? Of course it’s lacking! That’s why alphas, even after marking, cheat at the drop of a hat.”

“…Cheat?”

Hong Seonghyeon, like a ghost, inserted himself into the conversation between Nam Jungyoon and me. He seemed to have instinctively reacted to the keyword ‘cheat.’

“Some bastards cheat with betas even after marking. Saying without pheromones, betas and omegas are all the same.”

“What kind of bastard does that?”

“My ex-wife’s affair partner….”

“….”

“….”

“Yeonghwa, don’t feel safe just because you’re marked. Marriage, you see, is the greatest act of madness a human can commit….”

Hong Seonghyeon kept showing me the abyss.

I could easily guess how his marriage ended. His spouse had an affair with an alpha. And an alpha marked to another omega at that….

Seeing a living, breathing case of infidelity made me uneasy for no reason.

Jung Pureum is absolutely not that kind of person, but you never know with people. Hong Seonghyeon probably didn’t know his wife was that kind of person until the divorce either.

Seeing my expression turn serious, Nam Jungyoon covered Hong Seonghyeon’s mouth and dragged him to the break room. Kim Miyoung joined Nam Jungyoon, and I could see them berating Hong Seonghyeon. Is that really hazing?

I looked down at my left ring finger. The diamond, mixed with the blood, sweat, and tears of the jeweler, sparkled under the fluorescent light.

I’d rather just get married quickly….