Chapter 5: One Year on the Waiting List.

In truth, Yooha was afraid that if he ran into Shin Joowon again, the man would tilt his head like that and stare straight through him, as if asking whether he had something to say.

He worried in advance that Joowon would think poorly of him, and he had even thought that if he could, he wanted to avoid Shin Joowon for the rest of his life.

But once the discomfort began to interfere with his daily life, Yooha realized that this couldn’t continue.

Right, I should apologize.

If someone stared at me like that, I’d be uncomfortable too.

And we even made direct eye contact, so of course he must have felt bad.

Up until now, he had ended up avoiding Shin Joowon unintentionally.

But now, the time had truly come to face him.

No matter how it ended, Yooha felt that unless he at least said “I’m sorry,” he wouldn’t be able to escape the thoughts and nightmares that had been tormenting him for days.

Pretending nothing had happened just because he was scared had been wrong.

As if scolding himself, Yooha lightly patted his cheeks and wiped his face with a towel.

“Yooha, come eat while it’s still warm.”

“Yes.”

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw that his aunt and uncle had already finished their meal and were cleaning up.

His aunt scooped fresh rice into a bowl and set it on the table before quickly starting the dishes.

After sitting down, Yooha took a sip of water first.

“Yooha, what time does your tutoring end today?”

His aunt asked casually while washing the dishes with a clatter.

Yooha didn’t answer right away because his uncle, who had already changed clothes, patted his back and told him to eat more.

Only then did Yooha speak.

“It ends at five today.”

“I pushed it back an hour because I have to go to the center.”

“I heard Utae has plans with his friends, so I guess you’ll be eating dinner alone.”

“Come by the restaurant and eat.”

“Yeah, Yooha.”

“Come and have dinner with us.”

With even his uncle chiming in, Yooha gave an awkward smile.

“It’s Saturday, so you’ll be busy in the evening.”

“I can take care of myself.”

He smiled softly to show he meant it, but his aunt’s expression didn’t brighten.

The look in her eyes was full of concern.

“I just want to get some meat into you.”

“You keep getting thinner and thinner.”

“…….”

“I’ll leave a table open, so make sure you come.”

“Okay?”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Knowing that Yooha would never be able to refuse if she pressed him like this, she quickly finished the dishes and left her seat.

His uncle added that he would grill it deliciously and patted Yooha’s back again before heading into the bedroom.

Because of that, Yooha had no choice but to press his lips together, swallowing the words he had been about to say.

After becoming an adult, Yooha thought that being able to at least cover his own living expenses meant he worried them a little less, but it seemed that was nothing more than his own misconception.

His aunt and uncle had run a small home-style restaurant for many years, then about six months ago, added loans to their savings and newly opened a barbecue restaurant.

Since they had gone from running only a lunch business to handling dinner service as well, it was only natural that they barely had any time to rest.

Fortunately, business was going smoothly thanks to word of mouth, but Yooha was always bothered by the fact that they worked from morning until late at night without a single day off.

He had worked part-time at a barbecue restaurant before and had stubbornly insisted on helping out during the previous winter break, so he knew all too well how exhausting restaurant work could be, which made it weigh on his heart even more.

Yooha always felt grateful and apologetic toward his aunt and uncle, who had quietly supported him despite their modest circumstances.

Part of it was his determination not to become an additional burden, but more than that, he desperately wanted to repay their kindness by quickly landing a respectable job, so whether it was studying or working part-time, he threw himself into everything with all he had.

If his aunt ever learned what he was really thinking, wouldn’t she tear up and tell him he didn’t need to do all that?

Letting out a sigh-like chuckle, Yooha scooped up a generous mouthful of rice and pushed it into his mouth.

Only after seeing his aunt and uncle off as they left the house early was Yooha finally able to finish his meal.

After washing the dishes and brushing his teeth, he went into the room to change clothes and saw Wootae sleeping without even properly pulling up the blanket.

Only after putting on a long padded coat that reached down to his calves did Yooha approach Wootae and gently shake his shoulder.

“Wootae.”

“Mmm… hyung… I’m sleepy……”

He must have been up gaming on his phone until dawn, because he clearly hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

Watching Wootae whine and rub his eyes, Yooha smiled quietly.

With his build, he looked exactly like a big half-moon bear, but at moments like this, he felt like a much younger little brother.

There were times when Wootae acted thoughtlessly and left him speechless, but even so, he was an irreplaceable family member to Yooha.

Yooha took out all the cash from his wallet.

It wasn’t much, but he pressed it into Wootae’s hand and pulled the blanket that had slipped down back up to his chest.

“Have fun with your friends. Buy yourself something good to eat.”

“Mmm……”

After patting Wootae’s shoulder a couple of times, Yooha slung his bag over his shoulder and finally left the room.

Hearing Wootae mumble a sleepy thank-you behind him, Yooha smiled once more, closed the door, and stepped out.

He glanced around the now-quiet house for no particular reason, took a steadying breath as if to calm himself, and left.

Today, too, there was simply far too much to do to indulge in sentimentality.

****

“There don’t seem to be any major issues with the results. You’re still taking the suppressants regularly these days, right?”

“Yes… just once a day, as prescribed.”

The one asking in a flat voice while reviewing the test results on the monitor was the physician in charge at the Trait Research Management Center, who had overseen Yooha’s care ever since his traits first manifested in his first year of high school.

Every time Yooha answered, the man tapped away at the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yooha checked the time on his phone. He was worried he might be late for his tutoring session.

Sometimes, even if he arrived earlier than his appointment, bad luck could push the testing order back, but fortunately today, the examination had gone on schedule, so he should make it in time.

“How have your heat cycles been since the last checkup?”

“Um… both times I came in on schedule, but in December it overlapped with exam period, and I wasn’t feeling great, so maybe that’s why the medication didn’t work well.”

“Usually it settles within an hour or two after taking it, but that time I struggled for about three days. February was fine.”

Yooha spoke calmly, recalling the past months.

The physician recorded every detail without missing a word.
Since prescriptions and dosage methods could change based on the consultation, Yooha made an effort to answer as thoroughly as possible.

After listening, the physician hummed thoughtfully and rubbed his chin before looking directly at Yooha and speaking again.

“You’re quite sensitive to your condition, Mr. Yooha, so you should pay closer attention to managing your health. Try to exercise a bit, and don’t skip meals—make sure you eat properly. Your weight has dropped since the last checkup, too.”

“Yes……”

Listening to what was more nagging than not, Yooha fidgeted with his clasped hands in embarrassment.

It seemed his aunt’s comment about him losing weight hadn’t been unfounded.

Since finding time to exercise felt impossible, he figured he should at least try to eat three meals a day, even when he had no appetite.

“You probably don’t strictly need the suppressants anymore, but you said it puts your mind at ease if you take them, right?”

“Yes….”

“Then I’ll prescribe another three months of what you’ve been taking. You still have cycle suppressants left, right? No side effects?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve done well. Let’s meet again in June. Stop by the desk to schedule the date.”

The physician, who had remained expressionless the entire time, finally gave a small smile as he said goodbye.

Yooha returned a polite bow, stood up, and slung the bag he had been holding onto one shoulder.

So was that it again today—just talking and getting prescriptions?

With something weighing on his mind, Yooha hesitated instead of leaving the consultation room.

“Um… doctor.”

“Yes?”

Seeing Yooha lower his gaze, unable to make up his mind, the physician tilted his head slightly.
For some reason, Yooha found it hard to speak and glanced at him timidly.

“Ah… well, um……”

“Go ahead, take your time.”

The physician relaxed his previously stiff posture and smiled lightly, gesturing for Yooha to sit as if to ease the pressure.

Yooha wet his dry lips several times with the tip of his tongue and sat back down.
As if steeling himself, he swallowed once and slowly opened his mouth.

“…Is the matching still… not yet?”

The process of arranging meetings based on pheromone compatibility between registered alphas and omegas was commonly referred to as “matching,” and it had already been over a year since

Yooha put his name on the waiting list.

No matter how advanced suppressants on the market had become, and even if his heat cycles were so mild they almost went unnoticed due to being recessive, repeated heats without alpha pheromones would inevitably strain the body someday.

The physician had advised that unless he intended to remain celibate for life, it was far better to meet an alpha with high pheromone compatibility and maintain a regular relationship.

Yooha had hesitated at first, but after hearing from his aunt that his own parents had also met through the center’s matching system, he finally accepted the recommendation.

Regardless of their difficult financial situation, the parents he remembered were an ideal couple who cherished and loved each other more than anyone else.

If he, too, could meet a good person and build a happy family, then even if life was a little harsh, maybe they could lean on each other and live well.

Yooha had held onto that tiny hope.

“Oh, it’s a match.”

“Yes….”

Omegas, being fewer in number than alphas, were said to receive contact as soon as within a week after registering as waiting candidates.

Recessive omegas were less preferred and had a harder time finding highly compatible alphas, but even then, it supposedly never took longer than three months.

Yet despite being on the waiting list for over a year, Yooha had never once received a call saying he’d been matched.