Chapter 26: Three Minutes to Comply

I don’t know how I finished my evening part-time job.

I’ve been dazed ever since Euigeon left.

Even while taking orders and making sandwiches, my mind was full of thoughts about whether to accept the s*x partner proposal or not.

It was a kind of crossroad I had never faced in my life, so a conclusion didn’t come easily.
No, I couldn’t reach a conclusion.

By the time I managed to return to my studio apartment, it was past eleven.

Since he told me to give him an answer by today, I have to decide within the next hour.

Without even washing up, Chaewoo sat in his desk chair and opened the chat app.

Because of the voice talk record from a while ago, Euigeon’s profile was on the chat list.

Sheet music on a music stand—it was Euigeon’s profile picture.

Chaewoo stared at the photo for a long time as if it were the actual Euigeon.

Why does Beom Euigeon want to have such a relationship with him?

Even if they weren’t close, Chaewoo knew quite a bit of information about him that floated around lightly, as much as his fame within the department.

First of all, he was popular.

He didn’t need to threaten anyone to find a partner; the campus was overflowing with people who had feelings for him.

There was no way students would leave a dominant Alpha with a guaranteed future alone.

He had heard that the broadcasting club had asked him several times to appear in school promotional videos.

Did such an Euigeon specifically pick him out and ask to be s*x partners because his conditions were good, perhaps due to a perverted tendency (like enjoying s*x in a relationship where they hate each other)?

If so, then from Chaewoo’s point of view, he would decline even more.

Should he return the money and back out now?

Chaewoo sighed and rummaged through the drawer to find the contract he received from Park Myeong-seon.

Before the problem gets deeper, he should honestly tell his uncle that there was such a dirty proposal and somehow raise the money…

“Gasp.”

At the sudden ringing of his cell phone, Chaewoo dropped the documents he was holding.

He hadn’t properly organized his position yet.

With a nervous face, Chaewoo checked the name on the screen.

He thought it was Euigeon, but a different name appeared.

“Dad?”

It was rare for his father to contact him first, so he immediately worried if something had happened.

—Chaewoo. Were you sleeping?

“Not yet. Is something wrong?”

—Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to see how you were. Ah. And In-cheol came to the hospital today.

Chaewoo’s eyes widened.

“Uncle? Why.”

—Why else, a hospital visit. He bought various fruits and snacks, and we even had a meal together.

Since he had been nervous about something bad happening, Chaewoo swallowed a sigh of relief.

“Uncle didn’t tell me that.”

—He said he didn’t tell you on purpose because you’re busy with school and creative opera practice. It’s tough, isn’t it?

His father unexpectedly asked about Chaewoo’s school life.
Casual daily conversation had been cut off since his father fell ill, so this situation felt a bit unfamiliar.

“Tough? I have to attend properly and graduate.”

Leaving behind a subtle thrill, Chaewoo pretended to be calm.

—Yes. You must graduate. You’re certainly a strong son.

“…….”

—…….

And then neither of them spoke for a while.
It was his father who broke the silence first.

—Dad is going to start rehabilitation.

“Rehab…?”

Since his father had consistently refused rehabilitation treatment, Chaewoo couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

—It’s a program supported by this nursing home, so it’s all free. It’s slower than rehabilitation you pay for, but I’m going to start slowly.

“I’m glad, but you don’t have to overdo it.”

He said that, but his heart was already full of anticipation, and his chest felt tight.
Regardless of the success of the rehabilitation, he was just happy that his lethargic father was trying to start something.

—Whether it takes a year or several, I have to get healthier than I am now. That way, I can do something again, right?

“…….”

—Even you, a mere fledgling, are holding on, so I plan to find my own things to do.

At that, Chaewoo chuckled.

“…Fledgling, really.”

—Later, when you’re on vacation, let’s go see your mother. All this time…

“…….”

He could feel the hesitation over the receiver.

—I couldn’t even go and say hello properly. I’m sorry I’m so pathetic. After your mother left like that in a car accident… things fell apart one after another, and I didn’t have the confidence to live on my own with you, Chaewoo…

“No. It’s okay. Mom would be happy.”

—…….

“Let’s definitely go together.”

It was an indescribable feeling.

Hope that had gone out was swelling, and at the same time, it was regrettable. And sad.

Chaewoo gripped his phone tightly and suppressed the surging emotions.

Nothing has changed yet, but the reality that had been out of place for a long time seemed to be finding its place as Chaewoo had hoped.

To the point where he had the stray thought that it might actually be a dream.

—Ahem, yeah. It’s already this late. It’s late, so you should go to sleep soon. You have school tomorrow.

“Ah, yes. Right. You sleep well too, Dad.”

Even after the call ended, Chaewoo waited until the cell phone screen automatically turned off.

He wanted to feel this lingering feeling for a long time, like a reward for an exceptionally hard day.

But before he could even digest his emotions, an uninvited notification sound rang out cheerfully.

“Oh, you scared me.”

Startled, Chaewoo touched the notification to check the contents.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Have you thought about it?

It was Euigeon. Chaewoo checked the time hurriedly. 11:51 PM.

That meant he had nine minutes left to think.

He had to return to the reality of the enemy-like Monday.

Refusal and contract termination, or acceptance and s*x partner.

Closing his phone, he thought of those two possibilities alternately.

Reason screamed for him to back out now and sounded the alarm for contract termination.

However, he couldn’t shake off the voice of his father who said he would start rehabilitation and go see his mother soon.

The reason his father opened his heart like that was ultimately thanks to the financial room he had found.

Chaewoo pulled his hair a few times in front of the small screen and then sent a reply.

—Me: Yeah. I’ve thought about it.

The time is 11:58 PM. His heart beat as if it would explode.
Regrettably, this was a proposal that had no choice from the beginning.

—Me: But I have conditions.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Tell me.

—Me: Keep it a secret that I’m an Omega from those around us in the future too.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Of course.

—Me: And that I’m in that kind of relationship with you.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): That’s too obvious lol.

—Me: I want to be sure.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): I’ll keep it a secret. On the contrary, you know it’s the same for you too, Senior Seol?

“Ha, ridiculous. Why would I go around blabbering about that? Unless I’m crazy.”
Chaewoo wrote a reply sarcastically.

—Me: Yeah. Lastly.

—Me: Can’t we do it just once a week? On Fridays.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Friday? Why?

—Me: Because it hurts.

—Me: It’s hard to walk the next day too.

Chaewoo quickly added to evoke as much sympathy as possible.

—Me: My throat was very swollen last time too..

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Don’t you have any days without classes?

—Me: None. I have quite a few subjects I’m retaking.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): Got it.

“Whew.”

Chaewoo felt relieved only after receiving a firm answer.
And he wrote a reply unconsciously. [Thanks for understand…]

“Wait.”

He was about to write [thank you], but he snapped out of it and quickly erased the content.

Why should I say thank you to this jerk? I’m already driven crazy by the sense of injustice!

As the face that had been sarcastic in the practice room overlapped with the chat window, anger piled up layer by layer.

Since he replied, that should be enough. I’ll just leave him on read.

As soon as he left the chat irritably, a new notification came in almost simultaneously.

—Beom Euigeon (3rd Year): See you on Friday.

“…….”

The conversation was completely over. The time was 12:01 AM.

It took only three minutes to become s*x partners with a junior in the same department.

Is it usually this simple?

To think that an improper relationship that cannot be told to others could be agreed upon with just these few words.

He was still unsure if the decision he made was the right one. His insides were complicated.

Chaewoo turned his phone over and spread out the blanket he had neatly folded in the morning.

Even though he turned off the light and lay down, his restless mind did not easily subside.

Should I have refused? But there was no other way.

Like a repeat mark, the conclusion returns to the same point.
Today was a very long day. So he didn’t want to think any more.

Whatever happens, happens. Chaewoo closed his eyes and resigned himself.
Contrary to his complicated mind, he quickly fell asleep.

The black night quickly pushed Chaewoo into deep unconsciousness.

****

Chaewoo did not know exactly when he presented as a dominant Omega.

He just began to feel repulsed by people around him or developed feelings for them for no reason at some point.

It wasn’t a reaction limited to a few; it applied to people he passed briefly and people far away.

As time passed, that hard-to-describe sensitive sense gradually widened its range, and he belatedly realized something was strange.

‘He’s a dominant Omega!’

‘Is that a good thing?’

‘Of course. Pheromone control is perfect too.’

‘A dominant type in a Beta family is truly uncommon.’

His parents were delighted at the news.

Being Betas, they had difficulty fully understanding Chaewoo, but it wasn’t a big problem.

Chaewoo could hide his pheromones as much as he wanted, and his heat cycles were just symptoms like a cold, so acting like a Beta was easy.

‘Chaewoo, listen to your mother. Living as an Omega in the world is too dangerous. When you become a vocalist later, it can certainly be a great charm to capture the audience, but until then, I want you to hide that you’re an Omega.’

His mother explained the bad anecdotes she had seen during her life as a professor.

Stories about a promising Omega who had to give up her dream after suddenly getting pregnant and strange rumors spreading at school, or stories about being harmed by Alphas while hanging out with friends defenselessly.

‘So let’s agree not to reveal you’re an Omega until you graduate from university.’

‘Listen to your mother, Chaewoo. After you graduate, your father will pick a good Alpha that suits our Chaewoo and introduce him, so for now, focus only on your studies. You don’t even need to hang out with useless guys. If you meet a proper Alpha and have a wedding, it would be good to go study abroad together.’

‘Yes. Your father said he would support you however you want. Don’t worry about anything else; just study hard and attend classes while managing your grades at school.’

His mother, who was a music professor, directly coached every process necessary for his advancement since Chaewoo was very young.

From Chaewoo’s point of view, what his parents said was always right.

So even when his friends hit puberty one by one and got excited about dating, he focused on studying and entrance exams.

Because he didn’t have a single doubt about his parents’ words that all he had to do was study hard.

For that reason, Chaewoo was realizing that he had too little information about this side for his age.