CH 2

I got a cold, as expected. I don’t know what to say because I brought it on myself. It’s even stranger if I haven’t caught a cold after spending hours on the riverbank on a rainy winter night.

Despite the fact that I was wearing a mask, that damned section chief rolled his eyes because he was annoyed by my constant coughing. I gave him the same look and flipped the paper over.

But I’m glad it’s not a night shift week. Working in the office in the morning is easier than working in the logistics room at night.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

As soon as it was lunchtime, the section chief got up from his seat.

“Seo-yu, you’re not eating again today?“

“I’ve brought a simple meal pack. Enjoy your meal.”

“If you have a cold, you should eat something. You must have had a hard time doing the ancestral rites.”

The section chief approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder, pretending to be concerned. I tried to put his hand that came up to the back of my neck down with a pencil that I was holding in my hand while he patted my shoulder. It would have been successful if the section chief hadn’t avoided it by saying “Oops.”

“You’re so fierce to me, even though I’m only concerned about you. Why do you always have your guard up when I speak to you?”

“Hurry up and go get something to eat. Before I show you what the real ferocious is.”

“Hahaha. Okay, fine. Whatever it is, don’t forget to eat something.”

The section chief smiled slyly and walked out when I threatened him with a sharpened pencil in front.

The section chief is a 43-year-old Beta man who married his Beta lover, whom he had been dating for 10 years this year. I even went to the motel with him after my company’s first dinner.

His cell phone was constantly vibrating while he was washing up, so I took it out and saw the name [Girlfriend] on the screen. I remember shamelessly saying, “Did you try one night-stand while you have a girlfriend?” and kicking him in the lower stomach with my knee.

It’s been four years since he’s continued to flirt with me, and it makes me cringe. Maybe I’ll tell his wife one day.

Cough, cough.

My forehead was hot, possibly because I was angry remembering that time or because I had a cold. I’d like to take a nap, but I don’t have time. I have to work even during lunchtime to print all of the stamps on paper for the day.

There are a total of five employees in the office, including myself, one section chief, one assistant, and two employees. These employees are younger than me, and they are still in their third month and first year, respectively, so getting them to do a lot of work is difficult. I’ll have to double-check it anyway, so it’s better to do it myself from the start.

I was slow today because I wasn’t feeling well. I left a cup of mixed coffee after only one sip and kept moving my hands.

‘Shit, if I win a lottery, I’ll quit right away.’

Cough, cough.

My entire body had a fever by the time I got off work at 8 p.m. after working an extra two hours. I’m pretty sure I’m screwed.

I needed to lock the office because I was the last to leave, but my head kept spinning as I walked out. The building security staff eventually locked it for me.

I checked my cell phone, which I hadn’t touched since the morning while waiting for the bus at the bus stop. Plenty of chat rooms appeared, and I clicked one of them.

Won-jo [Are the ancestral rites going well?]

[Yeah.]

As soon as I sent a reply, I received another message while scrolling through my phone.

Won-jo [Did Park Jin-cheol help you?]

[We broke up before the ancestral rites.]

Won-jo [Hahaha. It doesn’t seem like that long ago.]

Won-jo [Today’s pork belly, deal?]

Wonjo [It’s on me.]

It irritates me that my one and only friend is overjoyed about my breakup. Won-jo always promises to buy me a meal if I have a breakup.

I had been dating Park Jin-cheol for six months.

Park Jin-cheol was a new employee at the customer service. We began dating after the second time we met. Park Jin-cheol, who was a beta, discovered that I was an Omega while we were having sex.

Despite the fact that he was a beta, I, as an omega like him.

He was the type of man who could overlook my flaws and bad habits. I believe it was a complementary relationship by giving me the advice I needed and giving him what he needed.

It was the first time I had dated for half a year. I thought I was finally going to meet the relationship I had given up on due to my age. Park Jin-cheol would have persuaded me to marry him if he had been an Alpha.

Eventually, it was over.

Won-jo [Meat, go?]

I coughed and typed on the screen.

[No, let’s eat on the weekend]

Won-jo [Why? It’s my treat. Don’t you like it when it’s free? Hahaha]

[Caught a cold]

Won-jo [Bastard, you’ve always had a weak body.]

It was true that I was sick too frequently to ask this bastard to worry, so I had nothing to say.

[Anyway, see you later]

The bus arrived as soon as I sent the message, and I boarded. It’ll be a long bus ride home.

After seating in the back seat, I checked the reply from Wonjo.

Won-jo [I will not treat you then.]

I sent [Okay]. There was no more response.

I’d already used up my data for the month, so I just stared out the window until I got close to my house.

On the way, I stopped at a pharmacy to buy some cold medicine and then went grocery shopping.

The old landlord was checking the mail in front of the gate.

“Hello.”

“Oh, you are here. I guess you’re on a day shift today.“

“Yes, it’s cold, so put on your coat.”

“I just came out for a brief moment. Did you complete the ancestral rites properly?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

After 20 years of living alone on the second floor, I became accustomed to greeting the old man, who was once I found frightening. Rather than a landlord, he is just an ordinary old man who is self-conscious about his appearance.

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the landlord’s wife’s death. I remember he was at her funeral, looking dismayed at the picture of the portrait. Maybe he feels the same way when he sees me.

The house was, of course, freezing. While I was washing, I briefly turned on the boiler. First, I turned on the television and opened the instant rice cover. The microwave was louder than the anchor’s voice on TV. Even with the TV on, a house that is too large to live alone is quiet.

The market-style soybean paste soup and rice bowl on the table looked shabby and the worst in the world, but I ate the entire bowl. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I didn’t skip out on the ice cream.

The toothbrush holder holds four toothbrushes. I chose the one on the right. I kept getting depressed while brushing my teeth and patting my chest to shake it off.

9:30 p.m.

I took a bath, ate, and had no housework to do. This early bedtime has always been a crisis for me.

What should I do to spend my time?

I sat on the sofa for a long time, watching a show that seemed to be a story from another world to me.

Do these people spend their time doing this? What do office workers in my age usually do after work?

Drama or movie? Games or cartoons?

For me there’s nothing to do at all.

People will meet up with friends for a drink, spend time with their lover, or spend the majority of their time with family.

Just like I did before.

There was a cold breeze. The chill began at the back of my neck and quickly spread throughout my body. The damp, sticky chill wrapped itself around me like a snake.

There is only one way out of this cold. I need to find myself a lover.

This should not be the case, whether it’s with a lover or a one-night stand. It’s been a while since I broke up with Park Jin-cheol, so I thought I should hold back, but circumstances prevent me from doing so.

I’m a fucking omega who’s far too promiscuous to even consider.

I picked up my phone with the thought of going into one of the flashing chat rooms.

….?

There were calls and messages from unknown numbers.

[This is Choi Sung-hoon. I contacted you because of my younger brother, so please reply when you can.]

Ah.

Looking at the formal sentence, I remembered that high school kid who was involved in an accident at Mapo Bridge yesterday said his older brother would contact me.

I accepted that high school kid’s offer to pay me if I lied to his older brother.

His name was Choi Sang-hyun or Sung-hyun. He is quite smart, he realized right away that I needed money.

He handed me a check for 100,000 won on the spot, and he promised me 3 million won if I completely deceived his older brother, which I couldn’t refuse.

[Hello ^^ I’ve been waiting to hear from you. It’s too late now and I’ll call you tomorrow morning. ^^]

I hope there aren’t any spelling mistakes.

I took my time writing the message. I debated whether or not to include ‘nevertheless,’ but ultimately decided to leave it out. I entered another chat room without waiting for a response.

Several chat rooms were displayed, but only one was clicked.

Namjin-hyung [Hi? Hehe, remember me from Mapo Jinie? It’s been a while. How are you?]

Namjin-hyung [I’m sorry, I mean Genie.]

I chose this person because the typo was cute. He is a Beta, 15 years older than me, and an ex-lover I met in a gay bar.

[Hehe, it’s been a while. Hyung, how are you?]

Namjin-hyung [Yeah]

Namjin-hyung [I want to see Seo-yu’s face after a long time. Shall we have a drink?]

Let’s get straight to the point. Well, we don’t need pre-dinner greetings when we know each other’s true nature.

[Sure, hahaha. When?]

Riing.

I hadn’t even finished typing when I got a phone call. When I looked at the number, I realized it belonged to the high school kid’s older brother.

Is this what that rude high school kid so afraid of.

I was a little nervous and answered the phone.

“Yes, hello.”

– Good evening. I’m Choi Sung-hoon.

“… Good evening, I’m Seo-yu.”

I answered a beat late.

Damn, isn’t your voice so sexy?

His low-pitched voice seemed polite, but he was emotionless.

Is he also an alpha? If there is an alpha sibling, the older sibling is almost certainly an alpha as well.

– I apologize for calling at such a late hour, but I need to check something.

“That, you don’t have to doubt what Sung-hyun said. Your younger brother was a very good student. He’s also responsible, which is rare these days. I will definitely compensate you for the car that was damaged because of me.”

– Tomorrow.

The man cut off the conversation with a firm voice.

– If you tell me when you’re available, I’ll come to see you.

“Yes?”

-Tell me the time and place.

“No, you don’t have to, even on the phone…”

– Are you all right at 7 p.m. in Jamsil?

He seemed polite but strangely ignored my words. He was a coercive person. Indeed, it was unsurprising that high school kid said that I would have to meet his older brother in person as if he had expected him to act this way.

I changed the time and location to ‘8 o’clock, Mapo-gu.’ “I’ll see you then,” the man said before hanging up.

His voice is so handsome.

It was a low tone that will shake the atmosphere.

I couldn’t help but look forward to seeing his face. The high school student had a good face, but I’m curious if his older brother is a more handsome Alpha.

The high school student described him as a terrifying older brother. I called the high school kid because I expected to have to make up a word before our meeting tomorrow.

I opened my mouth as soon as I heard the reception tone, shortly after the ringtone had ended.

“Hey, kid. I got a call from your Hyung. He wants to see me tomorrow?”

– …

“What should I say to…”

– …

“Hey, about the words…”

I couldn’t hear the high school kid who was supposed to be making a lot of noise. The thought that came to mind shocked me. I asked cautiously.

“…Hyung-nim?”

– … I have Choi Sung-hyun’s cell phone, Seo-yu-ssi.

He got his phone confiscated!

I’m glad my sixth sense is still active because I almost spilled the beans on all of our plans.

“Ahahaha, I see. I’m calling to ask how he was doing. See you tomorrow, Hyung-nim. Hahaha.“

– Yes, have a good night.

He said goodbye and hung up the phone.

I was aware that the line had been disconnected, but I continued to hold my phone to my ear. I’m not sure if my heart is racing because I’m scared or because of his sexy voice.

Namjin-hyung [Seo-yu?]

Namjin-hyung [When is the time?]

While I was taking a deep breath and stroking my chest, my ex sent a prompt message.

I’m sorry but I’ll have to put it off until next time.

I deleted my previous text and wrote a new one.

[I’m sorry~ I’ll call you later]

Namjin-hyung [ …?]

Namjin-hyung [Why did you text me when you said you weren’t going to meet?]

[I just remembered I still have work to do. I’m sorry.]

Namjin-hyung [You’re being a bitch again.]

[I’ve already apologized, you bastard.]

Namjin-hyung [You’ll fall one day, haha. Take care.]

Namjin-hyung [You need to get hurt once.]

Namjin-hyung [Bitch.]

In the meantime, I just read the message from the man who sent me a typo. A sigh of relief came out.

It’s worth getting upset about. It’s ridiculous to act as if we’re going to meet and then abruptly cancel. I’d feel the same way.

Cough.

I coughed out like I was being punished.

Dirty omega bastard. I know you are a slut since you started releasing your pheromones a few days ago. If you’re a slut, write “slut” on your face so I don’t have to deal with a slut like you.

It reminds me of Park Jin-cheol’s words.

It’s all my fault that he and I are starting to drift apart. We used to go to gay clubs together, but on that particular day, my heat arrived. Perhaps the club had a dominant alpha. However, because I was a recessive omega, my heat cycle was irregular, and I made the mistake of not bringing any medicine.

That day, Park Jin-cheol saw me seducing alpha with my pheromones.

How dirty it must have looked.

Since then, he’s been staring at me like a slut, and later, while I was washing up, he secretly looked at my phone and went insane after seeing messages from my ex-lovers. Park Jin-cheol thought I cheated on him, but I never slept with anyone else while we were dating.

When I told him that, he didn’t believe me, and we eventually broke up.

I understand him.

Even though it had only been a few weeks since my breakup, my heart was pounding when I heard the voice of a sexy alpha (supposed) man, so I said it all.

Now that I’m getting older, I should have a serious relationship on the premise of marriage rather than a casual meeting, but it’s not easy. Nobody will take me seriously, and I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life. The love will fade quickly, and I’ll find another man.

I’m sick of this kind of me, too.

That’s why they’re all leaving.

It’s always like this, and I’m tired of it.