The World of Contrasts Vol. 1 Chapter 3
“Seol Daeyoung, get away from Jang Jaemin!”
Jaemin, panting and looking up, forcefully threw his head back against the blade Seol Daeyoung had pushed forward. He felt a hot sensation at the back of his neck. Behind him, Seol Daeyoung, who had grabbed his face, dropped the knife and exclaimed in shock.
“Jang Jaemin…! You crazy…!”
Blood trickled down, staining Jaemin’s uniform. Seol Daeyoung pressed him against the wall, trying to stop the bleeding from his nape, but the blood wouldn’t stop flowing. Even as his vision darkened and his consciousness faded, Jaemin could distinctly feel Seol Daeyoung’s hard cock pressing against his waist.
This crazy alpha bastard is getting aroused even in this situation.
Jaemin, his face pale, tried to breathe in the scent from Seol Daeyoung’s palm. But the pheromones that had been emanating from him were completely gone. Only the cheap, soapy, sweet smell that always irritated Jaemin’s nerves when he was near him lingered.
“Jang Jaemin, wake up. Wake up!”
Thud! Thud!
Something pounded against his body, and everything went dark.
* * *
After dealing with a debtor who had fled to the countryside, Jaemin headed to his family home. Even though he had lived most of his life in this house, he couldn’t help but tense up every time he entered. Getting out of the car, Jaemin opened an umbrella and crossed the garden, shaded by landscaping trees.
Chairman Jang was waiting for him in the living room.
“The weather is awful. Come in.”
Rain poured down the large windows like a waterfall.
“It’s the rainy season,” Jaemin replied. He hated rainy days. The air, filled with all kinds of smells that usually went unnoticed, was unpleasant.
The scent of cheap perfume someone had sprayed, the smell of sewers from the streets, the odor of wet clothes like a damp rag. But the most bothersome was the thick smell of blood. The scent, instead of being diluted by the rain, became more pungent and wouldn’t disappear no matter how much disinfectant was used.
“You must be exhausted from working in this weather.”
Jaemin’s mother, sitting to the right of Chairman Jang, turned over his teacup and poured him some tea.
“What do you mean, exhausted? Jaemin didn’t have to work that hard.”
“I didn’t even have time to change my clothes before being called here.”
It was true. The debtor had made a mess at the end, forcing Jaemin to get his hands dirty, and his dark suit was stained with blood.
“Still, you could have given the boy time to wash up…” Chairman Jang glanced at her and smiled.
“Hee-ya.”
Hearing the soft, gentle voice, Hee’s face stiffened. She knew what was coming. Chairman Jang always called her that way, knowing she hated it, especially when he wanted to crush her pride.
“Shut your mouth.”
“…”
“Ever since you were young, you’ve spoiled Jaemin, and that’s why he’s become such a disrespectful brat.”
Jaemin looked at his mother, who remained expressionless, like a doll, despite her husband’s rude remarks. He also noticed her lips turning white with shame.
Shin Joohee, the only daughter of a construction company CEO, was her father’s last card to save his life from the loan sharks he had borrowed from to prevent bankruptcy.
“Your daughter’s pussy looks delicious. She doesn’t look like an omega, though.”
“…”
“That’s what your father said to me the first time he came to our house to collect the debt. I remember every word. That vulgar language is still so vivid.”
“…”
“Do you know what he said when he found out I was a dominant alpha?”
“…I can imagine.”
“He said if I fucked you and had a baby, it would be 100% a dominant alpha, so let’s do our patriotic duty. I wanted to renounce my country after hearing that.”
As a result of giving his daughter to a man twenty years her senior, Jaemin’s maternal grandfather was freed from his debt. Unable to face his daughter, he immediately left for the United States as soon as the matter was settled, and Joohee gave birth to Jaemin with Chairman Jang, who had taken over her father’s company.
“He’s my son, of course I spoil him, dear.”
Crash!
The teacup flew from Chairman Jang’s hand, narrowly missing her face. If it had been any closer, the tea would have splashed onto her face.
“I deliberately missed your face. Though you’re old now and useless, I still cared.”
Joohee’s beautiful lips, which defied her age, trembled slightly as she kept them tightly shut.
“Father,” Jaemin interjected, frowning, but Joohee quickly intervened.
“Jaemin, since you’re here, talk to your father for a bit.”
She knew that if her son got involved, the situation would only get worse. This had happened many times before, and each time, the house would be in chaos.
“He’s been disappointed that you haven’t visited much lately. Even if you’re busy, come by and show your face sometimes.”
“Don’t say unnecessary things and thank him. We men need to talk.”
“…Alright.”
As Joohee left the room with a stiff gait, a heavy silence fell over the spacious room. The helper in the kitchen was likely holding her breath, trying not to make a sound.
“Mother is getting old, Father.”
Jaemin spoke as he heard the door click shut. Chairman Jang chuckled.
“She’s been old for a long time. But since she’s the woman who gave birth to you, she lives comfortably by my side. Otherwise, why would I keep a dried-up woman who doesn’t even make me want to fuck anymore? At least omegas stay wet and juicy down there, no matter their age.”
Jaemin swallowed hard, trying to suppress his nausea.
“Oh, our son hates omegas, I hear. How cute. I should take you to a nice place sometime. You learn about drinking and fucking from your old man.”
At least Jaemin had moved out as soon as he became an adult. But Joohee had endured Chairman Jang since their marriage and would continue to do so, hearing such disgusting remarks all the time.
“Father, Mother gave birth to me.”
Born into a wealthy family, she had received the best elite education until her father ruined the family. She never imagined she would be married off to an uneducated thug.
“Oh, really.”
“Could you at least show her a little more respect in front of others?”
“Are you lecturing me now?”
Chairman Jang smiled at Jaemin, who stared back at him with a stern face. Finally, Chairman Jang cursed.
“You little shit, how dare you look at your father like that…!”
As Chairman Jang reached for the porcelain teapot, Jaemin grabbed his wrist. Hot water poured from the spout onto Jaemin’s arm, soaking his shirt and clinging to his skin.
The teapot finally hit the floor. Chairman Jang relaxed his grip on the teaset, and Jaemin also let go of him. His arm stung from the scalding tea.
“Yangsan-daek! Bring some ice!”
Chairman Jang shouted, and the helper, who had been silent until then, quickly appeared. She pushed an ice bucket filled with ice towards Jaemin, and Chairman Jang took out a cigarette.
“That bitch’s personality…Joohee really spoiled you too much. Studying abroad and whatnot, fuck. Those foreign bastards have no manners.”
“Do you think Mother is solely responsible for how I turned out?”
Jaemin rolled up his sleeve and pressed ice against his reddened arm as he asked. The half-serious question made Chairman Jang scoff.
“What? Are you saying my personality is shit too?”
“I’m saying that Mother didn’t raise me alone.”
Chairman Jang, having nothing to say, lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. Jaemin inhaled the most welcoming scent in this situation deep into his lungs. As if understanding Jaemin’s craving for nicotine, Chairman Jang continued.
“Don’t even think about smoking with me until I’m on my deathbed.”
“…I’ve never thought about it. I’m fine without it.”
“Bullshit…”
The ice melted and water dripped from Jaemin’s hand. His white shirt was stained with blood and soaked from the tea and melted ice, making it a mess.
“Jang Jaemin.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think the field is a joke to you?”
Finally, the reason Chairman Jang called him was revealed. Jaemin asked with an unwavering gaze.
“Are you not satisfied with how I handle my work?”
With an unchanged expression, like his mother, Jaemin added.
“Two days ago, Manager Park only recovered 8 million, but today I recovered 350 million.”
“If you turned the place into a bloodbath, that’s to be expected.”
“If I hadn’t, Kwak Hyundong, that bastard, would have hidden his Hong Kong account, and we would have done all the work for nothing. The same goes for Mr. Kim.”
Chairman Jang sighed deeply, his broad chest heaving under his blue gown before settling back down. Despite being in his sixties, he had an imposing physique.
“You need to be careful. Those bastards are watching with keen eyes.”
Jaemin scoffed, and Chairman Jang furrowed his thick eyebrows. Jaemin knew that his father’s massive hand could strike him at any moment. Having been hit countless times as a child, Jaemin had developed the ability to sense violence from the slightest change in expression.
“Did you just laugh?”
* * *
Chairman Jang glared at him with narrowed eyes, his fist ready to fly.
“Yes.”
But Jaemin realized something.
“It’s funny.”
He smiled, his lips twisted, shoulders shaking slightly.
Chairman Jang would beat Jaemin even more cruelly if he sought forgiveness or submission. Once, Jaemin had grabbed an ashtray and lunged at him, thinking he might die. Jaemin was knocked down with one blow, but his father never laid a hand on him again. Instead, he hired a fighting instructor for his son.
“You can learn to fight later.”
His father did not want his son to kneel or apologize to anyone. According to him, power was the law and the ultimate authority. Morality meant nothing to a man who had raped a woman to produce a smart and capable dominant alpha as his successor.
From the moment he understood human speech until now, Jaemin had lived as the perfect heir to Chairman Jang of JangHyun Construction. He had to be someone who was used to stepping on others’ heads and someone strong enough to do so. Even in the most terrifying situations, he had to maintain his dignity, no matter what.
“You little shit, what’s so funny?”
“It’s just…funny that Chairman is afraid of something at his age…”
“…What?”
“And also, it’s kind of nice?”
Finally, the thick hand flew out and slapped Jaemin’s cheek hard. Chairman Jang had held back, but the blow was still strong enough to make Jaemin’s mouth bleed.
“This disrespectful little shit, you’ve got some nerve.”
Chairman Jang looked at him with a smirk, no anger in his face. Jaemin, confirming his suspicion, swallowed his scorn and stretched his lips into a thin line.
“If I really become a disrespectful little shit, you’ll have to retire, Father.”
“Ha, you crazy bastard. I should have a funeral for you instead.”
“I should repay your kindness for giving birth to me so well.”
Jaemin felt the conversation was over and stood up. Chairman Jang continued.
“Wait until you’re my age. You’ll worry about your only son dying before he can spread his wings.”
Jaemin swallowed hard, tightening his lips. His only son. What would Chairman Jang’s mistresses around the country feel if they heard this? If any of his numerous illegitimate children had been a more dominant alpha than Jaemin, would he still be in this position?
“I have no intention of leaving before you, Chairman.”
Chairman Jang lit a new cigarette and scoffed.
“Such arrogance…I’m tired. Show some respect.”
“Yes.”
“Jaemin.”
Jaemin stopped as he was leaving the room. He felt Chairman Jang’s gaze on the back of his neck, making the hairs on his head stand up. The scar on his neck, hidden under a tattoo, itched unbearably. On humid, rainy days, he wanted to scratch it until it bled.
“What’s with your hair?”
Unlike Jaemin, who wanted to cover his neck with his hair, Chairman Jang always preferred a clean-cut style. In his words, it was disgraceful for alpha men to look wild, and such behavior was fitting only for omegas begging to be fucked.
“I didn’t have time. I’ll cut it.”
Jaemin managed to keep his composure, despite his momentary tension. What would happen if Chairman Jang found out his secret? The thought made Jaemin’s blood run cold.
Chairman Jang continued, his voice casual yet probing.
“And why haven’t you shown your face lately?”
“Who are you talking about?”
Jaemin had many people under him. He asked without changing his expression. Chairman Jang smiled like a snake, his mouth widening.
“The bastard who stabbed you in the neck, who else?”
Jaemin’s heart pounded faster.
“…Ah.”
A short answer slipped from his bloodied lips, but it wasn’t what Chairman Jang wanted to hear. As Jaemin stood at the entrance, putting on his shoes, Chairman Jang raised his voice, puffing on his cigarette.
“Isn’t Seol Daeyoung still alive because you made him part of our family?”
The rain poured down like a hole had been punched in the sky, much like the summer day when Seol Daeyoung first came to this house during Jaemin’s senior year of high school.
* * *
Jaemin lay in bed with a bandage around his neck, feeling miserable as he thought about returning to school the next day. The pouring rain was unwelcome, and recalling the incident at the gym just before the rainy season began made his heart race uncomfortably again.
He had managed to avoid revealing his nature to the entire school by losing consciousness after intentionally injuring himself just before going into heat. The incident was brushed off as a dominant alpha first-year becoming intoxicated by an omega’s pheromones, and the matter was quickly resolved. The other alphas who had attempted to rape the first-year omega were deemed more problematic, so Jaemin’s case was relatively overlooked.
“Young Master.”
Seonho knocked on Jaemin’s door and entered, bowing. He had been busy handling the aftermath of the incident for the past month.
“This isn’t a historical drama, so stop calling me that when adults aren’t around. It’s embarrassing,” Jaemin said.
“Ah, sorry. Force of habit.”
Despite the small age difference, Seonho always spoke respectfully to Jaemin. Chosen by Shin Joohee for her son, Seonho was humble, intelligent, and efficient.
“How are you feeling?”
“…I’m fine.”
Jaemin rubbed the back of his neck and replied dryly. When the doctor mentioned that a slight mistake could have severed his nerves and caused serious harm, Jaemin received three slaps from Chairman Jang before the anesthesia even wore off.
Seonho was the one who had knelt before Chairman Jang, and his forehead was split open by Chairman Jang’s fist, adorned with a thick ring.
“Do you think you can just suck my wife’s pussy and get away with doing your job like this? Huh!”
Chairman Jang’s words made no sense. Seonho couldn’t enter the school, so it was natural that he couldn’t do anything when Jaemin was in danger. Besides, Seonho had never slept with Joohee. Of course, being a beta didn’t make it impossible for him to have a relationship with someone of a different type. But Jaemin had never detected the scent of another alpha on Seonho.
“I’m sorry. I will make sure this never happens again. I swear on my life.”
Chairman Jang threatened to cut off Seonho’s wrist if something like this happened again. Jaemin glanced at Seonho’s intact wrist, imagining it gone, and felt a chill run down his spine.
“Young Master.”
As expected, Seonho used the cringe-worthy title, and Jaemin, still lying in bed, frowned.
“What the fuck.”
Seonho had been hesitating, which Jaemin found annoying. He glared at him, urging him to speak.
“You have a visitor.”
“Who is it? Park Sejun?”
If it were Sejun, Seonho wouldn’t need to be so formal; Sejun would have just barged in. Sejun’s father, Park Hyung-oh, was an old friend and business partner of Chairman Jang Wonjung, so Sejun was the only person Jaemin’s age who could freely enter the house.
So, the fact that Seonho was hesitating meant that the visitor was someone who wasn’t welcome here.
“Who is it?” Jaemin demanded, sitting up abruptly. The sound of the rain outside gave him an ominous feeling, making his stomach churn.
“Seol Daeyoung is here.”
As the unsettling premonition became a reality, Jaemin’s heart pounded strongly. How the hell did that bastard find out where he lived?
“How does he know where I live?”
“…I don’t know.”
The townhouse, located away from the city center, was home to seven influential dominant alpha families and had military-like security. Unauthorized vehicles couldn’t enter, which was understandable given Chairman Jang’s position and the constant threat of assassination.
“How did he even get in here?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Fuck, what do you know.”
“Should I call security?”
“No, it’s not a warzone.”
Jaemin pushed past Seonho and threw open the curtains of his closed window. His second-floor room window had a clear view of the front door, making it the perfect spot to monitor his parents’ comings and goings.
“…Should I send him away?”
“What the hell is he holding in his hand?”
* * *
Instead of answering, Jaemin frowned and muttered to himself. Under the bent convenience store vinyl umbrella, Seol Daeyoung was holding something bright red. Jaemin squinted, trying to see what it was, and finally realized. His ears turned bright red.
“…That crazy bastard…”
Did he want to mimic a sick visit? Between him and me? Jaemin couldn’t decide whether to praise Seol Daeyoung’s audacity for bringing a bouquet to his house or to curse him out for having a death wish.
Chairman Jang hadn’t said much after hitting Jaemin in the hospital, but it was clear he didn’t have positive feelings towards the person who had stabbed his son in the neck. In fact, Jaemin’s greatest fear was that his father would personally deal with Seol Daeyoung.
“I’ll go out and send him away.”
“Wait.”
Jaemin stopped Seonho, who looked puzzled.
“When are my parents coming back?”
“They said they’ll have dinner outside and then return.”
“Let him in.”
“What?”
Seonho furrowed his gentle brows in confusion. He had no reason to welcome the guy who had gotten into a knife fight with Jaemin. Especially since that incident had caused him so much trouble.
“If Chairman finds out, it could be big trouble.”
“That’s why I need to warn him to his face not to do this again.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Jaemin needed to give Seol Daeyoung a stern warning. If he wanted to die, he shouldn’t show up in front of him again.
His heart was racing uncomfortably fast because he was angry. The back of his neck felt hot and sweaty, so Jaemin threw off the shirt he was wearing as soon as Seonho left the room. His hands trembled slightly as he hurriedly chose a t-shirt from his closet.
Realizing he was nervous, Jaemin bit his lip and grabbed the first t-shirt he saw. As he was staring at the door, it opened.
Click.
Seol Daeyoung appeared, his shoulders soaked as if there were holes in his shabby umbrella. He hadn’t even knocked.
“What the hell?” Jaemin said, leaning back in his chair and staring at Seol Daeyoung, specifically at the bouquet he was holding out.
“What do you mean, ‘what the hell’? Fuck you.”
Jaemin glared at him, and Seol Daeyoung shrugged.
“When I said I was going to visit a sick person, my mom told me to bring something.”
“Usually, people bring a fruit basket when they visit someone who’s sick. Haven’t you seen that in movies?”
“Flowers were cheaper.”
“…”
“The weather’s been like this, so fruit prices are through the roof.”
The bouquet of red roses swayed in front of Jaemin’s flushed face.
“Get rid of it.”
Seol Daeyoung obediently lowered his hand, then raised the bouquet to his face. He took a deep breath and then spoke.
“The scent of fresh roses is something I’ve never smelled before.”
“Is this your first time seeing flowers?”
“It’s my first time buying them.”
“…”
“They’re soft, delicate, and refreshing, not overpowering. Rose perfume is too sweet and gives me a headache.”
“I don’t know what you’ve been smelling, but it’s clear you have no taste.”
Jaemin curled his lip in a sneer, but Seol Daeyoung just smiled blandly.
“Having good taste just makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it? But I think I’ll buy roses more often from now on.”
Whatever, Jaemin thought, brushing the hair from his forehead. The explanation about the fruit being expensive made perfect sense, and he felt foolish for being momentarily flustered. But why had Seol Daeyoung been burying his face in the bouquet?
“In case you didn’t know, flowers aren’t for eating.”
Seol Daeyoung looked at him, frowned briefly, and then put on a strange smile. It was a particularly unsettling expression.
“Hmm. I didn’t plan on eating them.”
“Then why are you burying your face in them, idiot?”
Seol Daeyoung set the bouquet down on the desk and looked at Jaemin.
“The scent is similar to yours. It’s interesting.”
“…What?”
Jaemin’s eyes widened as he stared at Seol Daeyoung, who licked his lips and smiled meaningfully again.
“I wonder. Would it taste good?”
“Excuse me.”
Just as Jaemin grabbed Seol Daeyoung’s collar, there was a knock at the door. It was the foreign helper bringing fruit and tea.
“I brought some snacks.”
Hearing the broken Korean, Seol Daeyoung whispered to Jaemin.
“I’m hungry.”
“Fuck, you’re unbelievable.”
“I had to climb over your backyard hill to get here.”
That explained how he got in.
“I don’t care if you starve to death.”
“That’s how hard it was to get here.”
Jaemin grabbed Seol Daeyoung’s collar tightly. He wanted to hit him but restrained himself to avoid causing a scene.
“…Are you a defector?”
Jaemin pushed Seol Daeyoung’s collar away and flung open the door.
“Leave it and go.”
He spat out the words quickly, gritting his teeth, and the helper placed the tray on the table and left.
Jaemin kept his distance and leaned against the desk. Seol Daeyoung, without permission, sat on the bed and started eating the fruit from the table.
“Strawberries in this weather. They’re sweet.”
This was truly a fucked-up situation. The thunder and lightning outside provided excellent lighting and sound effects.
“Why did you come here?”
Jaemin was the first to speak. He had planned to threaten Seol Daeyoung never to show up again, but since Seol Daeyoung had made the first move, he had to change his plan. His neck, which he thought had healed, started to throb again, and his hands felt cold.
“Is it for money?”
Seol Daeyoung popped a shiny muscat grape into his mouth and smiled, showing his white teeth. It was the smile that made the alpha girls in their class steal glances at him and the omega freshmen, regardless of gender, flock to him.
“Will you give it to me if I ask?”
“Shut up, you piece of shit.”
Unable to contain his boiling anger, Jaemin spat out the curse. Seol Daeyoung shook his head.
“I came to say thank you.”
…What the hell is he talking about?
“I heard you spoke up for me at school. Thanks to that, it was settled with a month of school service. Cleaning toilets is honestly shitty, but it’s way better than expulsion.”
Jaemin had no idea how he heard that, but it wasn’t a story he particularly wanted to acknowledge. Jaemin raised his sharp eyebrows and scoffed.
“Who said I took your side?”
“So, it’s not true?”
“Use your brain if you have one. Omega-related issues are sensitive in the media. If rumors spread that seven alphas tried to rape one omega, the school’s reputation would take a hit, and the parents would be up in arms.”
Besides, among the parents of the guys Seol Daeyoung beat up, there were some influential people. Desperate to cover up their children’s misdeeds, they even paid the omega victim to keep quiet about the incident.
“So, the fact that you weren’t expelled has nothing to do with me.”
Jaemin explained slowly, as if talking to an idiot. Seol Daeyoung, who had been quietly watching him, spoke in a low voice.
“The guys who got beaten to a pulp by me are avoiding me now.”
“…Obviously. Getting crazy over omega pheromones is nothing to brag about.”
“Do you think they have that much shame?”
Seol Daeyoung picked a cherry from the fruit plate, removed the stem, and threw it at Jaemin.
“…What are you trying to say?”
Jaemin reflexively caught the cherry, then immediately threw it on the floor and furrowed his brows. Seol Daeyoung looked at him nonchalantly and put the stem in his mouth.
After moving his mouth and jaw a few times, he stuck out his tongue. Seeing the tied cherry stem, Jaemin’s temples throbbed with anger.
“What the fuck are you doing, you asshole!”
Seol Daeyoung spat out the tied cherry stem onto the plate and smiled.
“I’m good at it, aren’t I?”
“…Do you want to get beaten up?”
Jaemin stammered in disbelief, and Seol Daeyoung looked at him intently before speaking.
“You’re the one who stopped my expulsion. Someone from your family talked to them. They said not to make it an issue anymore, or it would be a huge headache.”
“…They told you that?”
Who among the seven could it be? Jaemin wondered about the intelligence of the alpha who had blabbed about that. Seol Daeyoung smiled at him.
“Yeah. I beat them up again until they told the truth.”
Is this guy completely insane?
He had barely avoided expulsion for bullying, and now he was saying he beat up the same person again. As if one plus one equals two, he spoke with the utmost certainty of a madman.
* * *
As Jaemin silently furrowed his brow, Seol Daeyoung rose from the bed. He approached Jaemin step by step, like a beast about to bite into its prey’s neck.
Outside, the rain poured down relentlessly, as if there were a hole in the sky.
The air conditioner, set to the lowest temperature, made Jaemin’s room feel like a refrigerator, but Jaemin still felt the air was humid. The most humid thing was Seol Daeyoung’s eyes, staring intently at him.
“Are you afraid I might talk?”
Thud. Jaemin’s heart sank. The question had no subject, but its meaning was clear.
Are you afraid I might reveal your secret?
Jaemin bit his trembling lip. He wondered how much Seol Daeyoung understood the weight of the words he had just uttered.
“…Ha.”
Jaemin laughed bitterly, his eyes welling up with tears, the whites of his eyes bloodshot. Seol Daeyoung let out a small sigh and continued.
“At first, I didn’t think much of it, but after that day, I changed my mind. There must be a reason you’re so desperate to hide it.”
“Shut up.”
Seol Daeyoung ignored his command. His throat bobbed, and a low voice emerged.
“You…you really tried to kill yourself that day. You tried to commit suicide.”
For a moment, Jaemin thought he saw something dark flicker in Seol Daeyoung’s eyes. Was it pity for the loser? No, it was more like excitement. The feeling of victory. Seol Daeyoung was cleverly hiding it, which made Jaemin feel even more miserable.
Jaemin glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
“Whatever stupid thoughts are going through your head, they mean nothing to me.”
“Then don’t be afraid. I came here to tell you this.”
Jaemin’s eyes grew hotter. He felt like being forced to his knees would be less humiliating.
“I don’t plan on telling anyone.”
As Jaemin realized the heat spreading to his sharp nose and eyes, he roughly grabbed the bouquet from the desk.
Thwack!
He swung the bouquet fiercely, hitting Seol Daeyoung’s head. Rose petals scattered everywhere. Seol Daeyoung’s statue-like face remained in place.
“Why would I…be afraid of someone like you.”
Jaemin struck Seol Daeyoung’s face with the bouquet again. A thorn scratched his handsome face, leaving a thin red line, but Seol Daeyoung didn’t flinch. He just stared at Jaemin with a dark, swamp-like gaze.
“I…I should be the one you’re afraid of. I’m the one you should be grateful to. You were almost expelled and buried in the mountains, but I saved you…”
Thwack! Thwack!
The bouquet in Jaemin’s hand had lost all its red petals, leaving only green stems, unrecognizable from its original form.
“You should be the one afraid of me. Right?”
One of the scattered petals stuck to Seol Daeyoung’s wet t-shirt, which Jaemin found particularly annoying. He hated everything about Seol Daeyoung—his eyes, his voice, his scent.
Jaemin lost his composure and screamed, his neck veins bulging.
“You should be the one kneeling to me, the one grateful to me!”
Suddenly, there was a urgent knock at the door, and the sound of the doorknob turning.
“Jaemin, what’s happening? Are you okay?”
Jaemin shouted at Seonho, who was worried about him outside the door.
“Don’t come in!”
Jaemin did not want anyone to see him like this.
“Fuck…”
Something within Jaemin burst, and tears streamed down his face. A burning sense of humiliation stained his cheeks as Seol Daeyoung gently cupped his face with an even hotter hand.
At some point, the cheap soap scent that always lingered around Seol Daeyoung had begun to resemble the scent of roses. When Seol Daeyoung’s thumb touched Jaemin’s bitten lips, Jaemin shivered. As Seol Daeyoung tilted his head towards him, his gaze drawing closer and enveloping Jaemin, time seemed to stand still.
Jaemin did not close his eyes even as the softest and hottest part of Seol Daeyoung’s body licked, sucked, and rubbed against his insides, finally tying a knot and pulling away. His wet eyelashes fluttered upwards, and his sweet breath flickered from Jaemin’s red lips.
Seol Daeyoung whispered softly to Jaemin, who was glaring at him with trembling eyes.
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise, so don’t cry.”
He slowly stroked Jaemin’s cheek, holding it in his grasp. Jaemin trembled, biting his lip as he felt Seol Daeyoung’s body heat.
“You’re crying…makes me feel like the bad guy.”
The faint pleasure in his softly whispering voice was unmistakable. Jaemin realized that Seol Daeyoung finally knew everything. Not just that he was an omega, but also the despicable feelings he harbored for Seol Daeyoung, whom he despised so much.
The kiss just now had been the final confirmation of that.
Click.
The sound of the door opening and closing followed, and Jaemin was left alone in the room. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees. He gathered the scattered rose petals with his hands and clenched his fist so hard that his nails dug into his palm.
“Aaaah!”
Jaemin screamed, and the wound on his neck burst open, blood pouring down. He touched his neck, then glared at his blood-soaked palm. Slowly, he pressed his nose into it.
“Haah…”
There was no scent of roses, only the smell of blood. The cherry pit Seol Daeyoung had spat out was crushed and messy on the floor, its juice spread out like blood.
* * *
Jaemin was summoned by Chairman Jang just after midnight. He had been out to dinner with Joohee, and the unpleasant scent of omega clung to him.
“Oh, you’re here, my son.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“Yes, I had a great time. I had fun and even gave Joohee some tips.”
“…”
“I sat some pretty omega kids next to Joohee too.”
This meant he had taken his wife to a bar where omegas performed. Chairman Jang’s way of speaking, treating his spouse as a subordinate or even a prop, was something Jaemin could never get used to.
Jaemin thought that perhaps his mother, who endured this, was stronger than Chairman Jang.
“You must be tired. Please rest now.”
“Want a drink?”
Chairman Jang ignored Jaemin’s words and held up a bottle of liquor. Jaemin shook his head.
“I have to go to school starting tomorrow.”
“Oh, is it that time already?”
“…Yes.”
“Thanks to that, I had a great month off. Now you have to study hard.”
“Don’t worry.”
Chairman Jang had discovered he was a dominant alpha while in prison. Orphaned and illiterate, he started pickpocketing before he could read and was a professional by the age of ten. By thirteen, he was in and out of juvenile detention.
Just before turning eighteen, he was indicted for murder and late-bloomed in prison. The inmates who shared a cell with him had to offer their holes to him day and night, a fact that made for good gossip.
“I suffered because I didn’t know myself, but you’re different. I made it this far with my fists, and Joohee was the top student at a school full of smart kids.”
Chairman Jang poured a glass full of golden whiskey and downed it like water, speaking casually. Jaemin stood before him with his hands behind his back, listening attentively.
When Chairman Jang was drunk and in a good mood, this happened occasionally. When he was like this, Jaemin had to listen to his lectures, no matter if it was midnight or 4 AM.
“When you were little, I worried because you looked too soft for a gangster’s son. Honestly, I suspected this bitch Joohee was cheating on me, but now I laugh about it.”
Chairman Jang chuckled. He was referring to when Jaemin was about five years old, and Joohee, unable to bear her husband’s suspicions, attempted suicide. Even then, Joohee didn’t know her life could become even more hellish.
“After you came back from studying abroad, your atmosphere changed. People really need to play in the big leagues.”
The study abroad wasn’t by choice, but perhaps because of it, Jaemin had been able to move around freely until now.
“Every time you started to resemble me, I felt so proud. Seeing you, with your pretty face, breaking people’s legs is so much better than seeing some punk with a shitty attitude beating people up.”
The chance of an omega being born between a dominant alpha female and male is one in ten thousand. Most of the time, they give birth to an alpha with a high alpha score. It was only natural that Jaemin was raised as an alpha from the moment he cried out to the world.
“Just the other day, you were shaking, holding a fucking fruit knife, and now I want to take over your school and make you do all the work.”
It’s not that you want to, but you wanted to?
The past tense in Chairman Jang’s words strangely irritated Jaemin. He slowly raised his eyes to look at him. Chairman Jang took a drag of his cigarette laced with marijuana and exhaled a long, pungent smoke.
“But the bastard who stabbed you in the neck came to our house on his own feet.”
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