The World of Contrasts Vol. 4 Chapter 1

Jaemin chewed on his vividly red lips. If there was anyone to be removed, Jang Daeyoung, an alpha with much to lose, should not have committed murder so foolishly.

If their positions were reversed, Jaemin would have handled things systematically, leaving no evidence. Jaemin didn’t think Daeyoung was any less intelligent than himself.

So, it must have been an impulsive murder…

But why?

Jaemin recalled Daeyoung when they first reunited in Tokyo. Despite being missing and returning with amnesia, Daeyoung could have poured out his alpha pheromones and claimed him right there, but he didn’t. Instead, he made Jaemin come to him on his own and accept reality by himself.

Daeyoung’s patience was as strong as his immense obsession. What kind of event could have turned such a Daeyoung’s eyes upside down? And why was I separated from him right after that event? Despite… loving him so much. Why?

Jaemin, who had been staring blankly at the screen emitting light, slowly moved his fingers, tap, tap.

[Jang Jaemin]

He searched for his name just in case, but there was no one linked to him. One was a white-haired local professor, another an athlete who looked like he would burst, and many others with the same name. He even skimmed through posts in an American community asking about “Jang Jaemin the surfer”, until Jaemin pulled his hand back and put it behind his head.

“…”

His long legs moved silently, tapping on one knee.

Could it be that I was involved in Jang Daeyoung killing someone?

✽ ✽ ✽

Pushing aside long-grown weeds with his hand, Daeyoung stood in front of a red brick house. Despite its worn-out exterior, the house had a double lock on the door.

Daeyoung unlocked the door by entering his fingerprint and password, then stepped inside. A putrid smell permeated the house.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Daeyoung headed to the basement. The reason he liked this old house was because of this basement. The space, meant to be a bomb shelter, looked sturdy enough to withstand anything from the outside.

Conversely, whatever happened inside would be unknown to the outside.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

As he descended the stairs, Chairman Jang, emaciated to the bone, looked up. His cheeks were so hollow they revealed his teeth, making it hard to imagine his former appearance. The source of the putrid smell was here.

“You should eat well.”

Daeyoung clicked his tongue seeing the dog food he had given a week ago scattered on the floor.

“You need to live long, don’t you?”

Sitting on a chair in front of him, Daeyoung lit another cigarette.

Chairman Jang’s legs were shackled, restricting his movement to within a meter where he could barely reach the toilet and his food bowl. There was no water supply; if he wanted water, there was only one way.

“I brought something special today.”

Daeyoung placed a bucket he brought in front of him and opened the lid.

“You like raw fish, don’t you?”

Inside were black freshwater fish that looked freshly caught. Chairman Jang didn’t even look at it, glaring at Daeyoung with sunken eyes.

“How long do you think you can keep up this crap?”

Daeyoung smiled, curling his lips.

“Well, that depends on your lifespan. I’ll take good care of you until you pass away.”

The old man had a long life ahead. Initially, Daeyoung had installed cameras out of fear he might commit suicide, but soon realized he had no such intent and it made him happy. Chairman Jang was doing push-ups in there, so the next time Daeyoung saw him, he broke his shoulders.

“Do you think you won’t get caught? Do you think everyone will ignore my disappearance?”

“Well, so far, it’s quiet.”

Daeyoung smiled at him.

“How much money do people associated with me have to get from me? They must be looking for me with fire in their eyes by now.”

“What should we do about this?”

Daeyoung lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“I’ve already made sure they keep their mouths shut.”

“That’s ridiculous… There’s no way you know that list!”

“I didn’t just read the Bible in detention.”

During his weekly meetings with the lawyer Chairman Jang had assigned to him, Daeyoung figured out Chairman Jang Wonjung’s business structure. His wealth, amassed by effectively serving as a bridge between gangsters and politicians, was much greater than anticipated.

“You fed those bastards money? You? With whose money!”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t touch a single penny of Chairman’s slush fund.”

As Daeyoung stood up, Chairman Jang also raised his body, which seemed like a corpse. His yellow, bloodshot eyes glared at Daeyoung.

Even in this situation, his concern for money showed that Chairman Jang was certain he would not die. This arrogance of alphas sometimes irritated Daeyoung, like looking in a mirror.

“I just did what I’m best at.”

Daeyoung said with his nose slightly wrinkled. No matter how much Chairman Jang was not yet meant to die, this kind of behavior made him want to crush him.

“I gave them a choice between something precious.”

Money or life. When Daeyoung pulled out a long knife from inside his jacket, Chairman Jang’s expression hardened for a moment.

“If you were going to kill me, you wouldn’t have kept me alive until now…!”

Daeyoung, with his eyes gleaming, pressed the knife against Chairman Jang’s temple. As the smooth blade slid down his cheek, his dry skin split, and dark red blood rose. You could see the old man’s eyes trembling.

Are you scared? Jang Jaemin must have been much more scared than this.

Daeyoung adjusted his grip on the knife. At the same time, the pointed blade pierced through Chairman Jang’s left cheek and came out the right side.

“Ugh…!”

As he pulled out the knife, Chairman Jang’s face looked as if someone had poured a bucket of blood over it. His blood-soaked hand tried to grab Daeyoung, but it was futile. Daeyoung wiped the blood dripping from the blade with a handkerchief while looking at Chairman Jang, who had collapsed from his kick.

“No, I am going to kill you.”

Daeyoung’s original plan was to have Jaemin, upon his return, deal with Chairman Jang himself. He thought Jang Jaemin would want to finish off the man who had driven him to hell.

But… in Jaemin’s recovered memories, there was no Jang Wonjung. The horrific past had vanished along with him.

“There’s no reason to keep you alive anymore.”

Even delaying Chairman Jang’s death until Jaemin’s memories returned was risky. Since Shin Joohee had taken Daeyoung’s hand, dealing with him became easier. All management rights were now in the hands of his legitimate son. Chairman Jang would leave no trace of his corpse.

“Isn’t it time to stop?”

Chairman Jang spoke, blood pouring from his perforated face.

“That’s not your decision to make.”

Daeyoung stepped back from him, avoiding any blood from splattering on his shoes.

At that moment, his phone vibrated inside his clothes. It was a sign that Jaemin at home had connected to the internet. Daeyoung, having put away the knife, stared intently at his phone.

Jaemin had started searching. Checking the connected computer, news related to him slowly appeared on the small screen.

Seeing Jaemin check articles related to the murder, Daeyoung’s eyes narrowed. The incident was thoroughly hidden underwater, and there was no evidence linking Jang Jaemin to it.

Daeyoung was officially recorded as having killed the gangsters due to a gang dispute, with ‘Jang Jaemin’ completely omitted from the records. Chairman Jang did not want to acknowledge the downfall of the man he thought was his son.

How much he had spent to bribe the court and the prosecution was unknown, but it was a success for now.

Seol Daeyoung becoming Jang Daeyoung, Jang Jaemin’s disappearance, and the stories of some alphas who were talking about what might have happened in between were all handled by Jang Wonjung while Daeyoung was in prison.

Since only the elite alpha group knew of their existence, control was easy. They don’t make the mistake of backstabbing those in power with careless talk.

Information about Jang Jaemin and himself was still being regularly scanned and filtered by experts. Therefore, the traces Jaemin could find about himself on the internet were next to none.

Why am I feeling so anxious now?

“One last thing… to ask…”

Daeyoung slowly turned his head at the sound of Chairman Jang’s voice from behind. With eyes glinting, Chairman Jang asked him.

“…Did Jaemin… find my son?”

Daeyoung said nothing, and Chairman Jang burst into loud laughter with his blood-covered face.

“Ha, he did, he found him, hah. You… found our son.”

Indeed, killing him right now would be unfair to Jang Jaemin. Daeyoung took off his jacket, hung it on the chair, and removed his watch. For the beast in front of him who dared to call someone his son, the whip was too lenient.

Jaemin, who had fallen into a deep sleep while watching TV on the sofa, suddenly lifted his head at the sound of footsteps. Daeyoung, who had returned with the scent of cold air, stood in the middle of the living room, gazing at him.

“…You’re back?”

“Yeah.”

What’s this smell? Jaemin, more sensitive to smells than most, noticed an unpleasant odor on Daeyoung that was different from usual as he hung his coat on the chair.

“Why are you sleeping here?”

“I wasn’t asleep. I was waiting for you.”

“Were you?”

Daeyoung approached him with a voice so soft it could melt eardrums, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved. Blue veins stood out on the back of his hand. Jaemin, who had been quietly watching him envelop his cheek with that big hand, said bluntly,

“Take a shower first.”

Jaemin’s guess was correct. The smell mixed with Daeyoung’s scent was definitely blood. Where had he been, and who had he drenched in blood? Shouldn’t someone in Daeyoung’s position not have to get his hands dirty with such matters?

“Yeah, I’m sorry for being late without saying anything.”

Daeyoung smiled as he hugged Jaemin, who was trying to stand up, enveloping him. The faint, fishy smell was soon overwhelmed by his alpha pheromones.

“I’m hungry.”

Jaemin gently pushed away Daeyoung, who whispered with his lips buried in his neck.

“No sex, I’m tired from working out today.”

There was a room in the house full of workout equipment. Daeyoung knew Jaemin hadn’t even gone near that room today, and he looked at him with soft, amused eyes.

“Not sex. I’m really hungry.”

Jaemin clicked his tongue, furrowing his sharp eyebrows.

“…Are you telling me to cook?”

“I’m saying we eat together. I’ll do it.”

“I’ve already eaten.”

“Wow.”

Daeyoung, who had been laughing softly, showed a hint of disappointment in his eyes, making Jaemin sigh lightly. Thinking back, since they returned to Korea, Daeyoung had never eaten dinner outside of the house. This was also the first time he had come home so late.

“…What time is it? What were you doing that you’re starving until midnight?”

“Keep nagging me. It feels good.”

“Ah, it’s annoying.”

Jaemin chuckled, but he still felt like something was stuck in his head.

“Go take a shower. I’ll heat up what’s left for you.”

“I’ll eat even if you give me dog food.”

With a nice smile, Daeyoung got up. As Jaemin, shaking his head, dragged his slippers toward the kitchen, Daeyoung bit his lip thoughtfully.

Sssshh-

In the bathroom, Daeyoung turned the water pressure to full blast and glared at the mirror under the shower. It was a completely different expression from when he had met Jaemin’s eyes just moments ago.

After making Chairman Jang disappear from this world, the one who had kept him alive until now was Daeyoung himself. He would have liked to lock him up in the basement of the Pyeongchang-dong mansion, but with too many eyes watching, it was impossible. Instead, he bought an old house to use specifically as a cage for him.

Each time he went to feed the old man, watching Jang Chairman wolf down the food, Daeyoung eagerly awaited Jang Jaemin’s return. Look at this, he wanted to say. Do you know how hard it was for me to hold back from killing my biological father for you, to show you this, while crushing him with my body?

Even facing Chairman Jang’s face, which he wanted to smash at that very moment, wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Despite his limbs being severed, the survival instinct of an elite alpha was remarkable, and watching him not die easily brought Daeyoung back to his initial resolve.

But today, the unwelcome beast had mentioned Jaemin.

To sort out his extremely unpleasant feelings, he would need to spend the whole night alone with Chairman Jang, but thinking of Jaemin waiting at home, he barely managed to come back to his senses.

“…”

Seeing Jaemin sleeping so peacefully on the sofa like a painting, Daeyoung’s discomfort melted away like snow. The slippers fallen under the sofa, the warm indirect lighting, the soft blanket covering his body, and the voices of the entertainment panel on the TV.

For some, this might be an ordinary daily scene, but not for Daeyoung. Just the fact that Jang Jaemin was there made this moment feel extremely unreal.

Daeyoung had imagined countless times the reunion with his lover after their separation, but none of his countless scenarios included this situation – Jang Jaemin sleeping peacefully in a space he had prepared.

He couldn’t easily move because he was afraid that this peace, which soothed his mind and body just by watching, might break.

“…You’re back?”

But when Jaemin woke up shortly after, Daeyoung saw a fleeting disturbance in his eyes instead of comfort. It was only natural that Daeyoung’s thick eyebrows twitched.

Because that was the expression Jang Jaemin had when he was deeply thinking before he lost his memory. Jaemin’s expressionless face, hiding countless secrets, seemed to hover like a blurry reflection on a mirror.

Fuck… What the hell are you thinking, Jang Jaemin?

Daeyoung breathed heavily, washing his face with hot water. The traces of the past that appeared on Jaemin’s face were fleeting; soon, his omega willingly headed to the kitchen for him.

What’s currently complicating Jaemin’s mind is probably related to the articles he was clicking through late at night. He’s certain that he hasn’t recalled all his memories. If he had, this current peace would be impossible.

Daeyoung remembered Jaemin wearing a knit sweater that Daeyoung had previously torn to shreds over a white T-shirt.

Seeing him deliberately wear the visibly ruined clothing showed that his twisted personality was still intact. Yet, the kindness he showed by getting up to prepare food despite saying he was hungry, both gave Daeyoung unfamiliar feelings and ignited a fire in his stomach.

Daeyoung’s determination grew within him. Even when he was beating Chairman Jang, there was some hesitation about his plans, but after returning ‘home’ and holding Jaemin in his arms, he finally felt complete certainty. Daeyoung stood there for a long time, letting the shower water pour over him.

After a late dinner, they sat opposite each other on the terrace, with a glass of wine in front of them. It was a space where they would smoke together and chat before going to sleep. The night air, cleared of fine dust after the rain, was particularly crisp.

“Once I finish what I’m currently working on, I can be away for a long time.”

“Really?”

“Then shall we go on a trip?”

Daeyoung said, looking at Jaemin with deep eyes.

“Where to?”

“Anywhere. They say it’s going to get hot early this year, so the beach would be nice.”

A faint smile played on Jaemin’s lips. Just imagining the sea, breaking into foam under the blazing sun, made him feel joyful.

“Is it okay if I wear some really weird swimwear?”

“Or we could go to a nude beach.”

Jaemin thought he was getting dragged into frivolous talk, but conversations with Daeyoung were honestly fun. Even when he tried to provoke Daeyoung by poking at him sharply, Daeyoung knew how to respond calmly. It was as if he knew exactly what Jaemin would say.

“Ha, then you’ll have to get naked too?”

“No problem for me.”

With his handsome eyes slanting, Daeyoung gestured to his lower body with an air of confidence.

Imagining him lying naked on the sand, Jaemin could already picture what kind of situations would arise. If there were omegas around, they might even go into an irregular heat from the visual stimulation alone. Jaemin chuckled and sighed at the thought of the chaos that would ensue.

“Ha ha…”

It seemed that a nude beach was out of the question, given the overwhelming physical perfection of Daeyoung, which would cause too many issues. As Daeyoung adjusted the blanket slipping off Jaemin’s shoulder, he spoke in a gentle voice.

“Let’s have sex on the beach, fully naked. But before that, you shouldn’t get hurt.”

“Haven’t you watched too much porn?”

“When I have living, breathing porn right in front of me?”

With Daeyoung’s casual remarks, Jaemin’s lips twisted not out of displeasure but because Daeyoung had a knack for making him feel like his tongue was in his own mouth without even leaning in close. How could he do this?

How could everything fit so perfectly, like a movie script titled “The Ideal Romance of an Alpha and an Omega”?

Jaemin, watching Daeyoung tilt his wine glass at a picturesque angle, opened his mouth to speak.

“I have something to ask.”

What was your expression like when you killed those seven gangsters?

Is there a side of you that you haven’t shown me yet? If so, what might it be?

“What is it?”

“…”

Daeyoung smiled softly at Jaemin, who hesitated after starting to speak. He sensed that Jaemin was finally about to bring up the matter he had been hesitant about all evening, even while they ate dinner in silence, and after the shower when Jaemin had taken his seat on the terrace first.

“If you hesitate, I start to expect something.”

“Ha… Can’t you just be honest?”

Jaemin gave a faint smile, pulling up the corners of his lips. Daeyoung, filling Jaemin’s empty glass with wine, answered languidly.

“I’ve never been anything but honest with you since we met again until now.”

Whether it was desire or truth, Daeyoung dealt with Jaemin with raw emotion. There were just things he didn’t tell him, like truths he intended to bury forever that Jaemin didn’t need to know.

“Hmm… So…”

Daeyoung patiently waited for Jaemin to choose his words, and finally, Jaemin spoke.

“Did I… mark you by my own will?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

Daeyoung asked back with a puzzled look, and Jaemin swallowed hard, seeing the unexpected expression on Daeyoung’s face.

“Marking isn’t exactly a common thing, right?”

If it were legally bound, one could at least get a divorce, but once bound by pheromones, there’s no answer.

“At twenty-three, honestly, you’d be more interested in other things than that.”

Instead of asking directly, Jaemin’s roundabout way of phrasing caught Daeyoung’s attention, and he tilted his head slightly. His voice twisted with disbelief.

“Are you asking if I forced myself on your neck and bit you?”

“…”

Jaemin inhaled as he watched Daeyoung laugh with furrowed brows. Daeyoung’s face didn’t look angry; rather, it was one of incredulity. Jaemin thought it would be better to clarify this than to backtrack with a jest.

“…There was this ‘marking murder’ case in Tokyo that had the whole city buzzing.”

If something bothers you, it’s better to let it out than keep it bottled up. That’s what Mama always emphasized. Yukito probably got sick in the head for not doing so.

“What’s that?”

“A top alpha obsessed with an omega on the street, stalked him, forced a marking, and killed him within a month.”

Daeyoung put down his wine glass on the table and opened his cigarette case, lighting one with a click.

“So?”

Daeyoung’s expression was calm as he listened to the gruesome story. Perhaps because he was an alpha too. When Jaemin first heard about the case from Mama, he felt an urge to kill the top alpha who had hired twelve luxury lawyers.

“So, why are you telling me this now?”

“…I’m not accusing you; I just want to make sure.”

“You need evidence, then.”

Daeyoung’s voice was so calm it felt distant, and his eyes were the same. His unemotional attitude felt cold for a moment, but Jaemin was relieved that he wasn’t angry. He had asked with difficulty because he thought it was better to clarify, but he was also subtly worried about how Daeyoung would perceive this questioning.

Jaemin imagined Daeyoung completely losing it, picturing him howling like a beast with its gut ripped open, and he suddenly felt a chill, goosebumps rising all over his body. Was this a fragment of an actual memory?

“Evidence that we marked each other by mutual consent. Right?”

Jaemin snapped out of his thoughts at Daeyoung’s low voice.

“…Yes.”

Daeyoung nodded silently, smoking for a moment. After inhaling deeply and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, he finally spoke.

“I thought you pretending to lose your memory was a lie.”

“Why?”

Perhaps I wanted to escape from him by pretending to lose my memory?

Looking directly at the doubt that consumed Jaemin’s eyes, Daeyoung continued in a low but clear voice.

“Because I was certain it was impossible for you to forget all the time we loved each other.”

Jaemin blinked silently at Daeyoung’s unexpected answer. Such… sentimental reasoning? But Daeyoung’s expression as he continued was too serious to laugh off.

“It wouldn’t make sense for you to leave my side, so I thought something must have happened to you. There must be something inevitable preventing you from coming to me.”

“…”

“Five years in detention, two years after release, that’s seven years. That’s how long I’ve endured without seeing my omega.”

“…”

The answer was far from the question he had asked, but Jaemin couldn’t bring himself to correct the fact. He could feel Daeyoung’s voice changing.

“When I met you again in Tokyo, seeing you not even remembering me, can you imagine how I felt?”

Daeyoung clenched Jaemin’s gaze, swallowing hard, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke.

“By completely erasing the memory of our love from your mind, you’ve trampled on me once, and even now, by doubting and denying our entire past, you’re tearing my heart apart mercilessly.”

“…”

As Jaemin’s eyes wavered, Daeyoung took another deep drag from his cigarette, leaving sharp teeth marks on the filter. His large hand, trembling as if he wanted to grab Jaemin at any moment, caught Jaemin’s attention.

“…I’m not asking for grand evidence, just something like photos of us together…”

Jaemin let out a small sigh, starting to speak. He tried to hide his confusion, but it was evident. Like a predator that had found its prey’s weakness, Daeyoung struck there.

“If you’re confused because you’re with me, that’s not what I want.”

“It’s natural to be confused; my mind isn’t right now…!”

“What about the confusion of having a lover with lost memories by my side?”

“…”

Jaemin’s eyes were clearly trembling.

“What about this situation where you sometimes turn into someone else, not the lover I knew, and stab me?”

Jaemin fumbled for his cigarette case. His impatient hand lighting the cigarette could no longer feign calm. Daeyoung knew Jang Jaemin’s personality too well.

He must have touched on something that Jaemin’s mind couldn’t imagine. Jang Jaemin was selfish enough not to think about others, and Daeyoung loved that Jang Jaemin.

“I didn’t think I could hurt you. I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize.”

The Jang Jaemin who had lost his memory was still selfish, but there was one change. He didn’t deny his love for Daeyoung. Additionally, a sense of guilt towards his lover had emerged.

Anyone who knew the old Jaemin would be shocked, but considering his perfectionist tendencies from the past, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. Jang Jaemin probably didn’t want to show any flaws, even in his first love. Yet, every time he opened his mouth, he was unintentionally hurting his partner… It must be driving him crazy, huh, Jaemin?

Daeyoung used the guilt of the amnesiac Jang Jaemin to slowly tighten the noose around him. Jaemin’s sharp eyebrows drew together.

“…What?”

“I said, don’t apologize anymore.”

When it came to possessing him, morality was irrelevant. It had been that way since the day they met in the classroom and rolled on the floor.

Daeyoung suppressed the desire to bind the doubting lover’s hands and feet, bite into his already marked neck, and overwhelm him with pheromones until he couldn’t think straight. Not having to pretend to be in pain was one good thing in this shitty situation.

Jang Jaemin. You won’t be able to escape from me ever again.

You don’t know how dirty I feel having to hide my true feelings and say the opposite.

“If you want to go back to Tokyo, do it.”

“…Huh?”

Jaemin looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

Daeyoung swallowed hard, feeling his genitals grow heavy under his bathrobe. Every time he saw a new, unfamiliar expression on the Jaemin who had lost his memory, it was hard to suppress the heat rising within him. He couldn’t forgive the fact that there were memories in Jaemin’s time that he didn’t know.

“Your passport is in the bedside table drawer, along with your driver’s license, wallet, and information on accounts in your name. You had a lot of money before you lost your memory, so you won’t have any trouble living for the rest of your life.”

“No, I… I’m not…”

Jaemin opened his mouth in further confusion, but Daeyoung cut him off without hesitation.

“No one can enter this house, but no one will stop you from leaving. There’s a car you used to drive in the garage; you can use it to get to the airport.”

“Hey, Jang Daeyoung…”

“I won’t see you off. Even for you, I think you can understand that much.”

“…Wait a minute.”

Jaemin furrowed his brow, blinked rapidly, and stood up. After heading to the bedroom and opening the nightstand, he found everything Daeyoung had mentioned inside.

Seeing the car keys there, Jaemin looked up. He saw Daeyoung disappearing into the dressing room connected to the bedroom after having stormed out of the terrace.

“What… Where are you going at this time?”

Jaemin, after quickly putting on his pants, grabbed Daeyoung, who was already wearing a shirt. Daeyoung shook off Jaemin’s hand.

“Don’t touch me.”

Jaemin’s heart dropped with a thud. Are you pushing me away now…?

It was always him pushing Daeyoung away between them.

“Where are you going?”

Stuttering like an idiot out of sheer shock.

“Why should I report to you where I’m going?”

Daeyoung muttered, glaring at Jaemin just like Jaemin always did to him.

“What did you say?”

Jaemin’s face lost even more color.

“…Jang Daeyoung.”

“Don’t call my name so casually.”

“You marked me.”

“So what?”

Daeyoung’s voice was colder than ever when he responded. Jaemin, almost instinctively, bit his lip hard to stop the pheromones from escaping his body.

Just the thought of clinging to an alpha while releasing pheromones made his scalp tingle. The problem was that he felt like going mad with the desire to do exactly that right now.

“What does that mean now?”

Daeyoung scoffed at him. Jaemin’s eyes, red with blood, widened as he felt the hot breath.

He only wanted to confirm the truth, but he hadn’t expected such a harsh reaction. If it were the usual Jang Daeyoung, he would have explained things to him, even if he was displeased.

He tried not to, but his voice kept getting louder out of confusion.

“Don’t you know that once you’re marked, life becomes a mess if you’re apart from your partner?”

Other alphas’ pheromones just felt repulsive, and during heats, his body burned unbearably. The desire that no one else could satisfy was akin to a desperate hunger just before death.

Knowing that the mark wouldn’t be undone unless the marked partner died, Jaemin had felt countless impulses to murder an unknown counterpart.

“You seemed to live well enough to call it a mess. Even had an omega stepmother to play house with.”

“…Don’t talk like that.”

Daeyoung, growling with a split voice, looked straight at Jaemin and grabbed his jacket from the hanger.

“If you want to know the truth, I’ll say just one thing…”

Each word was sharp as it flowed from his throat.

“The one whose life became a mess because of marking with you is me.”

Jaemin’s usually red lips even seemed to pale.

“…You, above all, don’t you think I, the one who can’t remember, would be the most frustrated?”

The end of Jaemin’s trembling voice hinted at surrender, but Daeyoung did not stop. If he stopped here, this situation would surely repeat.

It might start with just confirmation, but if this kept happening, how would Jaemin act? Knowing Jang Jaemin’s unpredictable temperament, the only way was to end this moment decisively.

I will do anything to keep you by my side.

Daeyoung was now certain. Jaemin’s survival instinct, which had erased the painful memories of the past, would never allow him to return to that past.

“If you’re going to flaunt your amnesia, find someone else to indulge you.”

“…Fuck, you’ve been too harsh since earlier!”

Finally, seeing the blue veins bulge on Jaemin’s neck, Daeyoung turned his head. Jaemin roughly grabbed Daeyoung’s forearm as he tried to stride outside.

“Where are you going when I haven’t finished talking?”

“Then get lost.”

“…What?”

“Get lost.”

Looking straight into Jaemin’s shocked face, Daeyoung slowly lowered his head. Then, he whispered in Jaemin’s ear with a voice full of contempt.

“And never show up in front of me again. If you want to keep your life.”

Jaemin turned his pale face towards him, glaring. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, instantly filling with tears. Ah, you’re so angry you could cry.

“…What did you just say?”

“You’re not unaware, are you? The only way to break a mark.”

Daeyoung said cruelly, locking eyes with him. Jaemin’s lips trembled, turning blue.

“…Fuck… So, you’re saying you’ll kill me.”

Daeyoung did not stop, even as he faced Jaemin’s rage head-on. Feeling his heart pounding to burst, he hid his hands behind his back, clenching them into fists, as if he wanted to crush Jaemin’s body in an embrace at any moment.

The smile that twisted his long lips perfectly showcased his pathological obsession, but it didn’t reach Jaemin.

“I need to reclaim my life now. Marry an alpha woman who suits me, and keep attractive omega lovers as mistresses.”

“You fucking bastard!”

With his neck veins bulging, Jaemin screamed and threw a punch at Daeyoung’s left cheek.

“You shithead, how can you say that to me!”

Jaemin’s eyes burst with vivid anger. Seeing the bright red blood from Daeyoung’s lips, who had taken the punch without flinching, further fueled his rage.

Amidst the indescribable sadness and grievance that choked him, the largest emotion sweeping over Jaemin was… betrayal.

It was an unimaginable, overwhelming shock, like everything was crumbling down, coming from someone he had been with for just a month and a half.

“How could you… fuck… how could you… haa… how… sob, to me…”

Daeyoung watched Jaemin stuttering through tears for a few seconds before looking away. He sighed deeply, one hand on his hip, the other pressing against his temple. Finally, he grabbed his phone from where he’d thrown it on the nightstand, and with his thumb, he manipulated something.

From the phone, now tossed back onto the mattress, came Jaemin’s voice, which he was hearing for the first time.

―Huuuh, ugh…! Daeyoung, I love you… sob…! Ah, huh…!

―Do you really love me? Hmm? Jang Jaemin…

―I love you, fuck… Ha… How much more do I have to say, ah, huuh…! Ah! Ahh!

―How did you hold back wanting to do this with me?

―You bastard… Ha, do it quickly… Make me come… I want to get pregnant… Please… Ha, Daeyoung, please…

His forehead felt like it would burst from the heat. His own voice, begging for pregnancy, pleading for him to come inside, transformed into a loud moan at climax before abruptly cutting off.

Jaemin, with his tear-soaked face, stared blankly at the phone before finally looking up. His voice, tightly constricted in his throat, barely came out.

“…I don’t remember.”

“You… thanked me for marking you.”

Daeyoung’s low voice sounded distant. Jaemin, not knowing the real shape of the pain that surfaced in his unfocused eyes, suddenly raised his voice.

“I don’t remember!”

“I’ve never asked you to remember. Just forget it, then.”

The moment Daeyoung averted his gaze from him, Jaemin felt his heart plummet. Deep within him, a part of himself he didn’t even know was screaming. He couldn’t say those things, this situation doesn’t make sense.

“…I was found by Mama in Japan five years ago, when you were still in detention. It doesn’t make sense. If I loved you this much… why didn’t I stay by your side?”

“…”

“Why was I in a hospital in another country for two years!”

That was the part that troubled Jaemin the most. According to Mama, when they first met, Jaemin was in a terrible state, dressed in hospital clothes.

Daeyoung hesitated to answer his question, but Jaemin waited patiently. He wanted to know the truth, even if it meant a final confrontation.

“…You were trying to protect me and got beaten by gangsters, and in that process, you miscarried our child.”

Finally, a piece of half-hidden truth slipped from Daeyoung’s lips. Jaemin felt as if cold blood was draining from between his legs, and he asked him back.

“…What?”

“It wasn’t because you were weak. It was just that there were too many of them.”

“Who… who were those bastards…”

“You don’t need to know. They don’t exist in this world anymore.”

“…Then…”

“I killed them. All of them.”

Jaemin’s legs gave out, and he slumped onto the bed. The immense words from Daeyoung made his heart pound like it would leap out of his throat. It sounded like a bad lie, but instinctively, he knew this was the truth Daeyoung had hidden.

If so, it explained all the vague, poignant feelings that had been surfacing in his heart every time he saw him.

“I was the one who sent you abroad despite your desire to stay by my side. I wanted your body and mind to heal, and above all, I couldn’t bear to see you cry every time you saw me in prison clothes.”

Could it be that the feeling of nausea he felt when he saw him bound in the Tokyo fighting ring was because of that?

“Then me wandering in the snow and getting into an accident…”

Jaemin’s voice trembled as he looked at Daeyoung with furrowed brows. Daeyoung let out a heavy, long breath and spoke lowly.

“You must have been trying to come to me. I have all the records – your admission to the sanatorium, pregnancy confirmation, and miscarriage. Just say if you need them. There are more than enough medical reports to prove the extreme mental stress Jang Jaemin went through.”