Sole Omega in an Alpha Family chapter 75

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As he entered the penthouse, where he now lived with his brothers, Jungin pressed a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart.

Passing the sparkling night view of Seoul through the glass windows, Jungin caught a whiff of a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.

“Hyung, I’m home. What are you doing?”

“Jungin, you’re back?”

Youngwoo, clad in an apron, was carefully peeling the edges of a carrot.

“I’m making braised chicken. It’s your favorite. How was the orphanage visit?”

Youngwoo set down his knife and approached Jungin.

“Wasn’t it tiring? I told you I could come get you.”

“It’s okay, Hyung. You’re busy with work too. Look at your dark circles; you look like a panda.”

Amid the aroma of food, Jungin noticed the strong scent of coffee as he got closer to his brother.

Pouting, he brushed his fingers under Youngwoo’s tired eyes.

“Work’s important, but so is sleeping! Stop drinking so much coffee!”

“Are you… worried about me?”

“Of course I am! Just like you worry about me, I worry about you too…”

Even though they weren’t related by blood, Jungin had grown to consider them his family.

He couldn’t imagine forgetting them, even if they ever forgot him.

Hiding his bittersweet feelings, Jungin looked up at his brother with determined eyes.

“Your health comes first.”

“Our little Jungin is all grown up.”

Youngwoo smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses as he pulled Jungin into a tight hug.

“What are you two doing?”

“Hyung…!”

The soft brown eyes of Jungin caught sight of the black plastic bag Jungjin was holding as he returned home from work.

It was an odd sight—a cheap plastic bag clashing with the pristine suit and expensive watch his older brother always wore.

Feeling Jungin’s gaze, Jungjin lifted the bag and spoke first.

“Peaches.”

“Peaches?”

Does he love peaches enough to go out of his way to buy them himself?

“Our baby wakes up instantly even from deep sleep if peaches are involved.”

‘By “our baby”… he means me, doesn’t he?’

Although Jungjin always treated him like a newborn baby, Jungin couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

“I’ll give you some after dinner. They’re flat peaches, a new variety that was recently introduced to Korea.”

Jungjin slightly opened the bag, revealing the peaches.

They really were flat, as if they’d been pressed into someone’s palm.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“If you like them, I’ll get more next time.”

The sweet fragrance wafting from the bag promised they’d taste as good as they smelled.

Jungin swallowed hard, already anticipating the flavor.

At Jungjin’s urging to go wash up quickly, he rushed off to his room.

---

“Wow, I’m stuffed. The spicy chicken stew Jeongwoo made wasn’t spicy at all and tasted amazing. And those peaches… I’ve never had anything so sweet and delicious in my life!”

It was the first time Jungin had ever eaten so much.

The lingering taste of the peaches seemed to fill his mouth even now.

Gently patting his round belly, he let out a contented sigh.

“If there’s anything else you want to eat, just let me know. I’ll make it for you,” Jungjin offered.

“I’ll make something too! I’m really good at omurice.”

Jungin was most skilled at cooking ramen, but knowing his brothers wouldn’t be keen on that, he opted for his second-best dish: omurice.

“No way. Our baby shouldn’t have to get his hands dirty. What if you hurt your pretty hands?”

“Of course, you shouldn’t.”

“That’s why we work so hard—to make sure you don’t have to.”

Watching his brothers have such a serious conversation, Jungin chuckled to himself.

After hearing such absurd statements repeatedly over the past few months, he was starting to get used to them.

Still, Jungin couldn’t help but wonder why his past self had found these brothers so unbearable.

If it were him now, he’d want to stay with them forever.

“Jungin.”

“…”

“Jungin?”

“Oh! Yeah? Did you call me?”

Lost in thought, Jungin only realized he was being called when he saw Jeongwoo standing and looking at him.

“I’m heading to shower. You should go rest.”

“Ah, okay. Goodnight, hyung.”

“You too, Jungin. Sweet dreams.”

As Jeongwoo ascended to the second floor, Jungin realized this was his chance.

He approached his eldest brother, who was sitting on the sofa drinking coffee and scrolling through a tablet.

Summoning his courage, he spoke.

“Hyung… Are you busy?”

“I always have time to talk with my baby.”

Jungjin immediately put down the tablet and turned toward him, making Jungin smile faintly.

“Hyung, I have a favor to ask.”

“Of course. What do you need?”

“There’s someone I want to find.”

At those words, Jungjin immediately thought of Jungin’s friend, Choi Jungin—the boy Jungin believed had died.

Could it be that the boy had contacted Jungin?

Jungjin’s expression darkened slightly, though he hid his thoughts as he asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“Well… you know Choi Jungin, right? My friend.”

Hearing that name, Jungjin’s face stiffened.

When Jungin looked up and saw his expression, his heart sank.

Just as Jungjin knew Jungin well, Jungin had also grown to understand his eldest brother over time.

He could sense the unspoken thoughts and emotions behind his brother’s expression.

‘Does hyung hate me? Because I’m an orphan? Because I’m poor and don’t measure up to him?’

Jungin bit his lip anxiously, unable to meet Jungjin’s gaze.

Lowering his head, he forced his trembling voice to stay steady.

“They say Jungin… had a family. A grandmother. I want to find her.”

“Jungin, you don’t… feel guilty about that friend, do you?”

Jungjin’s cautious voice made Jungin lift his head.

When their eyes met, Jungjin sighed and took Jungin’s hand.

“It wasn’t your fault. None of it happened because of you.”

“Hyung… do you hate my friend?”

“Why would I? I’m just worried that you’re too caught up on him. It’s tragic, but Jungin… is gone.”

Gone. The way Jungjin said it, as if Choi Jungin were someone Jungin should simply let go, made Jungin’s heart ache.

Sensing his silence, Jungjin furrowed his brow slightly and spoke again, carefully gauging Jungin’s reaction.

“Alright. Since you’re asking, I’ll help you look for her. But Jungin, you need to start practicing how to let go, even if it hurts.”

---

Back in his room, Jungin sat in quiet contemplation.

He didn’t hate his brother.

But he felt as if no one in the world truly remembered or loved him for who he was, and that thought made his chest ache.

“Enough with the depressing thoughts,” he muttered.

Slapping his cheeks with a loud clap to snap himself out of it, Jungin dried his damp hair and picked up his phone.

“…What?”

His inbox was filled with messages from Beomhyeon.

Surprised, Jungin quickly called him.

The sound of Beomhyeon’s voice over the receiver made his heart flutter.

“Beomhyeon, what are you up to?”

“I was studying.”

“Oh, right… Our exams are coming up in two weeks.”

Having done no preparation, Jungin whispered his concerns. Beomhyeon chuckled softly on the other end.

“Did you eat? Jeongwoo made spicy chicken stew for me. I can’t usually handle spicy food, but it wasn’t spicy at all, and it was so good. Then my eldest brother brought home these flat peaches—apparently, they’re also called donut peaches. Have you ever had them?”

Hoping to hide his earlier sadness, Jungin spoke enthusiastically about his day.

After rambling for a while, he noticed the phone against his cheek had grown hot.

When he glanced at the clock, it was already past 11 p.m.

He needed to hang up to get some sleep for school tomorrow, but there was something he really wanted to say.

Nervously tapping the phone screen, Jungin finally broke the silence.

“Hey… Beomhyeon?”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s play a game.”

“A game?”

“It’s just… a ‘what if’ game. Hypothetically… if I weren’t Lee Jungin… would you still like me?”

A brief silence hung in the air.

Unable to endure even those few seconds of waiting, Jungin held his breath.

If one were to be brutally honest, Lee Jungin and Beomhyeon weren’t even on the same playing field.

A superior omega with stunning looks, a prestigious family—there was no comparison to be made.

The thought weighed heavier on Jungin’s heart.

To be truthful, he wasn’t confident.

He could understand if Beomhyeon didn’t like him for who he truly was.

With a self-deprecating smile, Jungin placed the back of his arm over his tear-brimmed eyes and spoke softly.

“Even if I were ugly, poor, had no family… even if my secondary gender was… beta… would you still have liked me?”

“Yes, I would’ve.”

Trembling, Jungin parted his lips, his emotions swirling.

Closing his eyes, he let Beomhyeon’s unwavering voice, filled with certainty, wash over him.

“I like Lee Jungin not because he’s beautiful, wealthy, has a family, or is an omega. I like him because he loves fruit, is timid yet braver than anyone else, cries easily but smiles just as much. Because he’s clumsy but skillfully peels shrimp with his tiny hands, trips often but lets me catch him—and when he smiles, that dimple on his right cheek deepens. Because he has a kind heart. That’s the Jungin I like.”

“…”

“So don’t worry, Jungin. No matter what you look like or where you are, I’ll find you and love you more than anyone in this world.”

How could he say such words so effortlessly?

Jungin let out a soft laugh at the calm voice that moved him more deeply than anything else ever had.

Smiling warmly, tears began to stream down his cheeks.

“Yeah… me too. I like you too, Beomhyeon. Because you’re you.”

The anxiety that had gripped his heart began to ease with each word exchanged with Beomhyeon.

“I love you, Jungin. Let me take your worries away. You just keep smiling happily.”

Like a dream, the gentle voice whispered into his ear, and Jungin sank into a deep sleep.

For a long, long time, until the dawn of a new day, the phone never disconnected.

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