ATGRA 15

“Did you see the messages I sent?”

“I didn’t. I forgot my phone charger.”

“So that’s why you didn’t reply.”

“…Were you waiting for my reply?”

“Of course. A kid who replies like clockwork suddenly goes radio silent, I thought you were dead.”

“I’ll have to reply late sometimes, then.”

“Oh, getting cheeky, huh?”

Seeing a scar on his handsome face hurt my heart. Whether it was the coach or a senior, whoever hit him deserved to have their nose broken for three generations.

“So, was it the coach?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie.”

“It’s really not. Coach hasn’t bothered me since I became an Alpha.”

The comment about not being bothered since becoming an Alpha grated on me. So they bothered him when he was a Beta.

“Then who hit you?”

“…”

“College seniors bullying you?”

Now that I thought about it, there must be people picking fights because he went from Beta to Alpha.

Even if the media kept it anonymous, those around Jung Pureum would’ve pieced together his trait change.

A guy who was a Beta until recently moved to an Alpha-only pool—how could his teammates not notice?

While I ground my teeth at imaginary seniors, Jung Pureum leaned his face into my palm, looking forlorn and docile.

“I got hit because I had to take a punch to hit back.”

“What?”

“You said, hyung, that you have to take the first hit for it to count as self-defense.”

“…”

“So I only took one hit.”

Good job, right? His face, seeking praise, left me speechless.

Just then, the sensor light turned off. Even without light, my eyes adjusted to the dark, and Jung Pureum, standing close, was clearly visible.

The pool’s distinct water smell and some body wash scent lingered in the air. Speechless, I slowly lowered the hand from his cheek.

“I told you not to fight. You could ruin your athletic career.”

“Hyung.”

“I told you a million times to focus on your own stuff…”

“Were you worried about me?”

I wanted to snap back that of course I was, but my words caught. Feeling oddly awkward, I changed the subject.

“Yeah. Stop standing at the door and move. If you’ve got more to say, don’t talk in the hallway—come inside.”

“I was just waiting to see your face.”

“You can see me in the daylight.”

“Still. I thought seeing you might make my pain go away.”

“…”

My already heavy heart sank to the floor. Why does he keep saying stuff like that?

I pushed past Jung Pureum to open the door. We both know each other’s passcodes anyway, but my fingers trembled on the keypad.

I felt unjustly accused. To others, it might look like I’m hung up on him because he’s an Alpha. Jung Pureum is still my precious next-door little brother.

I slammed the front door shut, pretending not to care.

“What’s he trying to do acting like that…”

If I were some random Omega, I’d have been a bit flustered by that comment. Just flustered? I’d seriously wonder if he was into me.

But it’s Jung Pureum, the next-door kid. I roughly ran a hand over my face.

I need to brew some tonic. I’m clearly feeling weak lately. Lack of stamina is making me get swayed by traits and think weirdly about my next-door brother.

I slapped my cheeks with both hands. Snap out of it, Moon Yeonghwa! In this harsh world, getting swayed by your next-door brother becoming an Alpha means you can’t run a business!

Slapping my cheeks cleared my head a bit. I must’ve been too stressed lately. Heat cycles, TV appearances, and collapsing—it’s been a lot.

I went straight to the kitchen and dealt with a late dinner of instant food. After eating, everything felt clearer than before.

Next-door brother Jung Pureum is fine, but dominant Alpha Jung Pureum needs to be kept at a distance. For my dignity as a hyung and the sake of running my clinic.

*

Ms. Lee Seolwoo, who recommended the dermatologist, is a dominant Omega. A regular at our clinic, she takes more heat-cycle-suppressing medicine than I do.

We got close as doctor and patient, seeing each other two or three times a week. I see her face more than my parents’, so personal conversations naturally increased.

Ms. Lee Seolwoo, who kept coming even when the clinic was dead, stopped visiting briefly after Nam Jungyoon became deputy director.

“Alphas make me a bit uncomfortable.”

Seeing her say that awkwardly, I couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, Alphas are uncomfortable. Same here. Finding common ground is nice.

I nodded, saying it’s understandable. But I couldn’t fire the deputy for a regular, so I spoke positively about Nam Jungyoon to Ms. Lee Seolwoo.

“I’ll still handle consultations and acupuncture, so don’t worry. The deputy will only do counseling and prescribe Gongjindan.”

“Oh, I saw you on TV. You looked great on camera.”

“Thanks to your recommendation. I only know clinics, not dermatologists or stuff like that.”

While placing needles on Ms. Lee Seolwoo’s abdomen, we had a friendly chat. She mentioned her lower abdomen felt tight after a recent heat cycle, so I turned on a heat device over the acupuncture site.

“Oh, doctor.”

“Yes?”

“What happened with that Alpha?”

“Which Alpha?”

“The tall, handsome one who comes every day…”

Just from that, I knew she meant Jung Pureum. He’s the only tall, handsome Alpha frequenting our clinic.

As an early Omega patient, Ms. Lee Seolwoo knew about Jung Pureum. He was a Beta when she first saw him, but she somehow remembered him as an Alpha.

“Is it uncomfortable having an Alpha patient visit?”

“No, no. That’s not it…”

Ms. Lee Seolwoo, lying down, trailed off awkwardly, blushing with embarrassment.

“He’s… really my type.”

…Huh?

I barely stopped myself from blurting out loud.

What? Pardon? Didn’t you just say the deputy Alpha was uncomfortable? That’s Alpha discrimination.

But she’s a VIP patient, regularly getting heat-cycle medicine. In this harsh capitalist world, losing a regular is unthinkable, so I couldn’t say something like, “Is it your head, not your abdomen, that’s hurting?”

“I’m so embarrassed. Please forget I said that.”

“Oh, sure.”

“He seemed like your close brother, so I was wondering…”

Thankfully, Ms. Lee Seolwoo didn’t ask me to introduce her to Jung Pureum.

She seemed to subtly hope I’d play matchmaker, but I’m a doctor, not a pimp. Even if I like Ms. Lee Seolwoo, that’s a bit much.

Pursuing romance at a clinic is obviously a no-go. Do your dating elsewhere.

I gently told her to rest and drew the curtain around her spot. I felt odd. It was striking that Jung Pureum, a dominant Alpha, was in demand with a dominant Omega.

I might be biased, but Jung Pureum holds his own anywhere. Tall, well-built, good personality… how many Alphas like that are out there?

But isn’t he uninterested in dating?

From what I recall, Jung Pureum never had a partner from elementary school to adulthood. He was busy with swimming, but he also seemed indifferent to romance.

Didn’t they say on TV that kids these days are often uninterested in dating? Thinking back, when I was in high school, dating was a far-off concept too. A student should study, not dare to date.

“Our Pureum is pretty popular.”

Ms. Kim Miyoung crept up and whispered to me, startling me so much my heart felt like it dropped to my feet. That’s some jump-scare level stealth.

Calming my racing heart, the phrase “our Pureum” stuck with me. When did Jung Pureum get so close to Ms. Kim Miyoung? His friendly nature wins over adults everywhere.

Unlike the prickly Jung Saebom, Jung Pureum is gentle. Not only is he polite to elders, but he also laughs heartily at small jokes. The only ones who dislike him are rival athletes or that crazy coach.

“Your ears are sharp.”

“Do this job long enough, and the herbs clear your eyes and ears.”

“You’re talking about herbs like they’re germanium bracelets.”

“Germanium bracelets are a scam. Herbs are real.”

“That’s true.”

Ms. Kim Miyoung handed me the neatly organized ledger with a light-hearted look.

“You’re not going to set them up, right?”

As expected, Ms. Kim Miyoung also thinks pursuing romance at a clinic is a bad idea.

Exactly. In a sacred space filled with herbs, impure acts like Alpha-Omega matchmaking shouldn’t happen.

When I shook my head, Ms. Kim Miyoung looked at me with approval. I thought I was totally off, but maybe I’m not completely crazy, her vague judgment seemed to say.

“I thought our doctor was going to play matchmaker and hook Pureum up with another Omega.”

“Oh.”

“Good thing you’re not…”

“Now that I think about it, maybe just getting them acquainted wouldn’t hurt?”

“…”

Ms. Kim Miyoung’s expression shifted from approval to pity in an instant. Changing expressions that often must cause wrinkles.

I don’t plan to play matchmaker, but it might be nice if Jung Pureum and Ms. Lee Seolwoo got to know each other.

As a recessive Omega, I’m not much help with Jung Pureum’s secondary gender education. So knowing an ideal dominant Omega could benefit him, right?

It’s a bit concerning that Ms. Lee Seolwoo has a crush on Jung Pureum. A guy busy with swimming shouldn’t get distracted by romance and do something foolish.

But it takes two to clap, and if Jung Pureum isn’t interested in dating, there shouldn’t be a problem.

“Maybe they’re fated partners? Something like that?”

“This is bad…”

“Why?”

“For Pureum’s future.”

His future is nothing but bright, so why is it bad? I got serious along with Ms. Kim Miyoung.