My Alpha Era Began with Gongjindan Chapter 48

Jung Pureum and I were both too accustomed to resignation in our own ways. The difference, if any, was that I’d get angry even after resigning myself, while Jung Pureum didn’t.

Jung Pureum endured everything well. Even when treated unfairly, he’d laugh it off; even when someone asked why he swam as a Beta, he’d just chuckle. If I didn’t throw a fit on his behalf, you’d think he was the reincarnation of Buddha—he never got angry.

So I needed to take the hard-line approach instead. Once I’m out of sight, he’ll probably focus more on swimming.

My plan was to leave for the family home by dawn tomorrow.

I’d wanted to leave right after declaring Jung Pureum banned from the clinic, but as a business owner, leaving right away wasn’t that simple.

Still, it was fortunate that the staff thought positively about my absence. Nam Jungyoon looked a bit unhappy, but it seemed she’d decided to let me go, thinking it was for saving a life. As expected, the recuperation card worked well.

Since I wasn’t planning to be away for more than a week, I packed lightly. I have all my clothes at the family home anyway.

But Jung Pureum still didn’t know how many days I’d be staying at the family home. I’d also told Nam Jungyoon and Kim Miyoung to keep quiet about it.

Of course, whether Jung Pureum will awaken and get his national team participation rights back just because I go down to the family home—even the heavens and gods wouldn’t know that.

Still, I had to give at least a little shock to Jung Pureum, who was casually letting it slide saying he’d aim for the next opportunity. Stop laughing it off! Fight tooth and nail for your rights!

Jung Pureum wasn’t exactly a gentleman either—the doorbell rang loudly. Since I’d banned him from the clinic, he’d been coming to my house every time.

Even though he knew my door password from when we used to meet at my place to squeeze in dates during my busy times, Jung Pureum still rang the doorbell every time.

I let out another long sigh.

If I don’t open the door, he’ll just stand there for a while and leave. Since he lives right next door, I don’t feel guilty, but it’s true that my resolve keeps weakening. I’m doing this all for his own good, yet I felt like the bad guy.

The doorbell rang long again. My messenger had long since exploded with messages. In the end, I got up and opened the front door.

Jung Pureum was on the other side. As Jung Saebom said, his face looked a little less composed than usual.

Jung Pureum naturally stepped inside. He was practically the owner of the place. I didn’t stop him from coming in either.

“Hyung…”

Jung Pureum, having spotted the luggage I’d packed, called out to me pitifully. I felt like the worst bastard in the world, abandoning a child and running away. It’s just a brief trip to the family home—why make that abandoned expression?

“You’re really going?”

“Of course I’m really going. Is there such a thing as fake going?”

“…”

“Right now, me being with you only gets in your way.”

Someone who can’t even control his pheromones because of me—why is he the one looking so wronged? If I’m the one stepping away, he should be saying “Thank you, hyung-nim!”

I’d thought this before, but ever since Jung Pureum’s secondary gender changed, we’d been continuously having a negative impact on each other. Even if unintended, it wasn’t good for either of our health or careers.

Us just being next-door neighbors is fine, but seeing each other and sticking together every day is definitely a minus. Unless we imprint and fully stabilize our pheromones, our conditions will fluctuate every time a cycle approaches.

Maybe if we overlap physically like before, it might be okay. But then we could never go back to being close hyung and dongsaeng like before.

The only thing that changed was Jung Pureum’s secondary gender, but there were suddenly too many things to manage.

Pheromones, cycle timing, health and condition, each of our careers. Anyway, humanity evolved wrong. If they were going to evolve this complicatedly, they should have gone extinct long ago.

“Hyung… are you okay without me?”

A voice wet with tears came from Jung Pureum. Am I okay without you? That’s a question I’ve never thought about.

For the past few years, Jung Pureum had always been by my side. It was as natural as water boiling above a certain temperature and the earth revolving around the sun.

But a few more years from now, it won’t be as natural as it is now.

Like all human relationships, ours isn’t eternal either. If one of us moves away or gets a lover, it could easily be severed.

“…Do I have to be okay?”

Of course, I wouldn’t be okay, but…

We’ve known each other for years. Naturally, without Jung Pureum, I’d feel empty, lonely, heart-sore, hollow. In this world, besides family, where else is there someone who gives for me like Jung Pureum does?

Still, I deliberately spoke harshly. What mattered now wasn’t the truth, but Jung Pureum’s participation in the national team selection trials. The national team was the only important agenda.

But then, an unexpected problem arose.

Jung Pureum started crying, tears dripping down! I can’t believe it. I can’t win when he cries.

In front of me, Jung Pureum was a complete crybaby. I could make him cry so easily every time. Watching a handsome man cry? For me, it’s easier than eating lying down….

Jung Saebom and the auntie next door always gave me subtle looks when I said Jung Pureum cries easily, but in my view, Jung Pureum was a delicate soul who didn’t live up to his build.

Hadn’t he whined even when he became an Alpha? It was a situation worth crying about, but a grown man showing tears at every turn is an attitude that needs fixing. As if a teary-eyed seduction would always work on me!

Of course, it does work on me, rather well. When will I stop being weak to his tears….

“Hey, why are you crying again. Stop it, stop.”

“To hyung, am I not that important?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“I can’t live without hyung…”

Seeing him drop tears with such a forlorn face, my resolve wavered.

…Should I just not go to the family home?

Come to think of it, my going to the family home for a bit wasn’t something that would be immediately resolved. Staying here wouldn’t change anything either, but still.

My determination wavered like a candle in the wind. But upon repeated reflection, his military exemption was a more important issue than Jung Pureum’s tears. For a male Alpha facing enlistment, what’s more important than military exemption?

“Don’t cry. Crying doesn’t solve anything.”

“…”

“I can’t just stand by and watch your career get ruined because of me. As a true neighbor, I have to at least prevent that.”

“I told you it’s not your fault. It’s because I’m lacking.”

“Tsk. Don’t be stubborn.”

“…”

“You’re affecting other players too, aren’t you? If your pheromones got to that state, whose fault is it if not mine?”

“I can control it well.”

“If you could, would you have been banned from participating? I don’t know for sure, but my pheromones are probably unstable because of you too. We need distance between us.”

It’s not like we’re going to imprint, and we’re not lovers. Naturally, keeping distance is right. Since Jung Pureum can’t avoid me, I have no choice but to avoid him.

Speaking as if coaxing a child, Jung Pureum started crying even more sorrowfully. Why does he cry more when I try to comfort him?

I reached out and pulled Jung Pureum’s tear-streaked face into a tight embrace.

“Hey, don’t cry.”

“…”

“I really want you to succeed. It’s okay if I take a little loss.”

Aside from the person himself and his family, the one who most wishes for Jung Pureum’s success is probably me.

“So, for now, I’m fine without you.”

Those words were sincere. Even if Jung Pureum wept profusely, I couldn’t give in to him every time. I felt quite proud of myself. Haha, I’m no longer swayed by good looks. Impressive, me.

It might sound ridiculous, but I felt a kinship with the younger Jung Pureum. Because when we were both Betas, our situations were largely similar.

Though our secondary genders differed—one omega and one Beta—we were both suffering in various ways because of those innate traits.

Jung Pureum was a Beta born between an Alpha and a Beta. As it happened, both his parents were in athletics, and he’d set his path as a swimmer from a young age.

If he’d given up or found another path, he wouldn’t have faced disappointment from such a young age. Swimming is one of the sports where Alphas have a definitive advantage.

Even the auntie next door hadn’t expected Jung Pureum’s secondary gender to be Beta. With such a good physique, of course she thought he’d be an Alpha. When her son received a Beta diagnosis, she was worried for a long time. One test result separated heaven and hell.

After that, Jung Pureum’s potential was continuously diminished because of his “Beta” secondary gender.

How strange. The Beta secondary gender, which is perfect for living in this world, was a poison to Jung Pureum. When I thought, “I wish I were a Beta,” Jung Pureum was excluded for being a Beta.

“…When will you come back?”

At some point, Jung Pureum had stopped sniffling. My chest was damp with his tears, but once his face was out of sight, he stopped abruptly.

Yet Jung Pureum still clung to me. It was a very familiar sight to me. He’d always been particularly spoiled with me since childhood. He too must feel that kinship with me….

“I’ll see once I’m there.”

“You’re not not coming back, right?”

“If I weren’t coming back, I’d have to relocate the clinic.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Do you hate me going to the family home that much?”

A “yes” immediately came from Jung Pureum, whose face was buried in my chest. Well, I always came back looking like a zombie after visiting the family home. It made sense that Jung Pureum was worried.

“Spoiled brat.”

“Only with hyung.”

“Save those words for when you get a lover later. You’re heavy, so let go now.”

“…”

“I said let go?”

As if trying to change careers to a leech, Jung Pureum wouldn’t let go of me. In the end, I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him off me.

“I’ll come back up as soon as you can participate in the national team selection trials.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Seeing his tear-stained face made my resolve weaken again. Normally people swell and look ugly after crying, but Jung Pureum just looked pitifully handsome. It felt like sympathy I didn’t even have was growing.

I barely managed to kick out Jung Pureum, who insisted on sleeping over at my place. Even that clinginess looking adorable was a real problem.