* * *
The man who seemed to have been waiting near his door greeted him the moment Jungin emerged.
The man, claiming to be the resident manager of the boarding house and its longest occupant, had been trying to get friendly with Jungin.
“I heard you groaning all night. You’re not sick, are you?”
“Ah, I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize. I was just worried about you, that’s all.”
But his gaze was unsettling, lingering too long as it scanned Jungin’s figure.
Feeling uneasy, Jungin quickly hunched his shoulders and replied.
“Um, I’ll go wash up now.”
“Oh, sure, sure. See you around.”
Jungin fled down the narrow hallway, biting his lip as he reached the communal bathroom with its unsecure door.
His clenched fists trembled as he exhaled deeply.
“Haah…”
Even something as small as the wobbly bathroom door now filled him with fear and unease.
Clinging to the doorknob, he crouched there for a while, struggling to regain his composure.
“Room 204!”
“Ah!”
“Did I scare you?”
The man’s face lit up with a grin, amused by Jungin’s startled reaction.
He moved closer, his smile widening as he admired Jungin’s freshly washed, slightly damp face.
From the moment they’d met, he’d been convinced that their meeting was destiny.
Though both were Betas, he believed the power of love could overcome such trivial matters.
With his heart pounding, Kim Jungwon swallowed nervously as his gaze fixated on Jungin’s creamy skin peeking out from the oversized shirt.
Clearing his throat, he asked:
“Your name’s Sooyoung, right?”
“…Ah, yes, that’s correct.”
The unfamiliar alias tripped Jungin up momentarily, but he nodded hesitantly, avoiding Jungwon’s overly attentive gaze.
“How old are you? You look really young.”
“I’m twenty. Um, why are you asking?”
“No reason, really. You just feel like a little brother I should look after. Do you have any kimchi? My mom sent me a batch from home, and I thought I could share some with you.”
Jungwon gulped audibly, captivated by the faintly sweet scent emanating from Jungin as he gently grabbed his wrist.
“Ah! W-What are you doing?”
Jungin jerked his hand away, his voice trembling as he bit his lip.
The man’s expression darkened, irritated by what he considered an overreaction.
“I’m just trying to help. No need to act so dramatic, you’re not even an Omega, are you?”
“I-I’m not!”
“Then stop acting like it. I barely touched you. You’re not an Omega, right?”
Jungwon’s probing gaze lingered, and Jungin instinctively stepped back, forcing himself to keep his composure.
There was no way an Omega could live in a boarding house like this, but he couldn’t afford to reveal his secret before finding a new place to stay before his heat cycle began.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m running late for work.”
With a hurried bow, Jungin retreated to his room, locking the door behind him.
His heart raced as he quickly changed clothes, worried Jungwon might still be outside.
Fortunately, when he peeked out, the hallway was empty.
“Haah…”
Even so, Jungin found himself rushing out of the boarding house, his steps quickening until he was far enough to exhale a shaky breath and steady his breathing.
Exhaustion clung to him, his body heavy and sore after several sleepless nights.
As the summer heat pressed down, Jungin wiped the sweat beading on his forehead, only to feel a wave of dizziness wash over him.
“Ugh…”
His knees buckled, and he instinctively reached out to grab someone’s arm, only to find the space around him empty.
Why had he taken the presence of someone who would always protect him for granted?
Fighting back tears, Jungin took a shaky breath and forced himself to keep walking.
At the familiar alley leading to his workplace, Jungin greeted the shop owner with a polite bow.
“You’re here early, Sooyoung! Still thirty minutes to go.”
“I finished getting ready quickly. What should I start with?”
“Clean the grills first. Don’t touch them with bare hands—use gloves. The chemicals are strong.”
“Got it.”
Jungin nodded and headed to the back, grabbing a grill from the stack.
He scrubbed away the charred residue with a scouring pad, sweat dripping down his brow as time slipped by.
Eventually, as the pile dwindled, he straightened his aching back, flexing his sore hands.
His gloves were torn, leaving his fingertips stinging.
With a resigned sigh, Jungin inspected his reddened hands.
“Haah…”
Work helped him avoid thinking too much, but the strain on his body was catching up.
Despite taking cold medicine, he couldn’t shake the lingering fatigue.
Adjusting his mask, he resumed cleaning.
“Sooyoung, when you’re done, help out front. It’s busy today.”
“Yes, I’ll be right there.”
After finishing the cleanup, Jungin stepped outside to help with the bustling crowd.
Though he didn’t know how the day passed, he was grateful work kept his mind occupied.
Drenched in sweat and smelling of food, Jungin grimaced as he left the restaurant.
“Haah…”
All he wanted was to return to the boarding house, shower, and collapse into bed.
Yet, his legs felt like they were weighed down, each step more difficult than the last.
Stopping at the dark alley leading back, Jungin hesitated.
The streetlight had been broken for weeks, making it a path he usually avoided at night.
But tonight, the longing to rest overrode his caution.
“Let’s just hurry… and get it over with.”
Jungin glanced around nervously, biting his lower lip slightly, before hastily stepping forward.
One step, then another—his pace quickened as he neared the end of the alley.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling behind him froze him in place.
In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
‘What if my stepmother sent someone to kill me? Or… could it be the manager from the boarding house this morning? What if it’s someone drunk, trying to harm me?’
His mind screamed at him to move—to head towards where there were people, where the lights shone brightly—but his body refused to cooperate.
“Ugh… ah…”
His aching body betrayed his fragile heart, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He had told himself that he’d rather die alone than burden Beomhyeon and his brothers.
Yet now, faced with this moment, he found himself yearning to see them just once more.
Collapsing to the ground, Jungin wrapped his trembling shoulders around his face, shielding it.
‘I’m scared. So scared, Beomhyeon.’
As his body quivered, his breath hitched, a short sigh came from above him.
A familiar warmth enveloped him as Beomhyeon’s arms wrapped around his shaking frame.
The trembling in Jungin’s body began to subside at the comfort of the familiar touch and heat.
“For someone this scared, how did you think you could live on your own and come all the way here?”
Jungin blinked, confused.
His mind was reeling.
Was he so terrified that he was hallucinating Beomhyeon’s voice?
Slowly, he lifted his head and met Beomhyeon’s gaze.
The brown eyes staring back at him flickered with emotion.
Beomhyeon reached out, gently brushing away the tears streaking Jungin’s cheeks, and let out a deep sigh.
“Your eyes… they never seem to have a day without tears.”
“How… how did you get here?”
Jungin’s voice wavered as he stared at Beomhyeon, trying to discern whether this was a dream or reality.
Slowly, he began to back away.
“Jungin.”
* * *
Aww finally