ATGRA 90

“So I have to win a gold medal, no matter what…”

“This isn’t about national prestige anymore.”

“I know, right? This kid’s life is on the line for a gold medal.”

The complexions of the athletes, who had initially been laughing good-naturedly, saying, “Should we listen to our youngest’s story?”, changed from moment to moment. Everyone lamented when they heard that no matter how many times he said he liked him, the reply was always, “Yeah, hyung likes you too!”

“You’re amazing too, Pureum. It can’t be easy to like someone like that for eight years.”

“It wasn’t that hard. My hyung is cute, so…”

“Oh my, look at this kid.”

“He must be wearing iron-tinted glasses, not rose-tinted ones.”

“That kind of thing only gets fixed with marriage. When you live together, any affection you had disappears. You can love someone before marriage because you live separately.”

“Hey, why are you saying that to a twenty-year-old? You should be instilling dreams and hopes about marriage, not the other way around.”

The only one who sat in front of Jung Pureum and listened seriously from beginning to end was the one shooter who resembled Kim Miyoung. The rest of the athletes were busy sharing their own dating and marriage stories.

“Hmm, if you’re that worried someone will try to steal him, you should have just imprinted on him before you came.”

“…I wanted to.”

“But your boyfriend wouldn’t let you? You said he’s eight years older; he’s not completely without conscience, I see.”

A twenty-eight-year-old Omega imprinting with a twenty-year-old Alpha? This would definitely attract negative comments if Jung Pureum were to win a gold medal. Even if Jung Pureum had a one-sided crush on Moon Yeonghwa for eight years, with that age difference, it’s a perfect setup for Moon Yeonghwa to be labeled a cradle robber.

“From what I hear, your worries are understandable. But I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

“Why not?”

“If he’s that clueless, wouldn’t he be unaware even if someone made a move on him?”

That was a valid point.

No matter how much Moon Yeonghwa had gained a bit of sense recently, he was still a clueless bird.

Moon Yeonghwa was still the kind of person who, even if someone confessed to him right in front of his face, would reply, “Aha, you’re after the clinic, aren’t you? You’re trying to assassinate me and take over my clinic!”

I had wondered what use that cluelessness could possibly have, but it turns out it’s used to avoid guys who come on to him.

Jung Pureum gave up on escaping the training camp. Instead, he sent three crying puppy emoticons in a row to the clueless Moon Yeonghwa.

Hyung, you’re a fool who really doesn’t know my heart… Stop enchanting just anyone…

When I woke up in the morning, I had three crying puppy emoticons from Jung Pureum. I was so surprised that I called Jung Pureum right away.

But it was early in the morning, and perhaps he was in training, because the phone just rang and no one picked up. Did something happen? I felt anxious, wondering if that coach bastard had given our kid a hard time again.

“Sunbae, stop shaking your leg.”

“I’m too anxious right now.”

“Why? Did something happen again? Did you run into the YouTuber we got put away on your way here?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s more serious.”

“What is it? Did Baek Wonhee get released on bail?”

“Where in the world do they release a drug offender for money? I trust that Korea isn’t that corrupt of a country.”

“…Then what is it really?”

“Sigh, don’t be surprised, just listen. Jung Pureum sent me three crying puppy emoticons in a row last night, out of the blue. While I was sleeping, no less!”

“…”

“It wasn’t a video call, it was a message. Something must have happened to Jung Pureum.”

The face of Nam Jungyoon, who had been looking at me with concern, gradually turned cold.

He usually acted like such a good hyung to Jung Pureum, but Nam Jungyoon started to let my words about something definitely happening to Jung Pureum go in one ear and out the other.

“Is that all? It’s probably nothing, so stop shaking your leg. You’re already unlucky enough, why are you trying to shake your luck away?”

This cold-hearted brat!

However, I followed Nam Jungyoon’s advice and stopped shaking my leg. Shaking one’s leg is bad for the knee joints. Having bad joints is scarier than losing luck.

“You seem to know what happened to Pureum, don’t you?”

“Me? How would I know? Why would Pureum contact me?”

“That’s true. Why would he contact you and not me?”

“Now that I hear it, this is kind of ridiculous. I’m close with Pureum too, you know?”

“The one who’s closest to Jung Pureum is me.”

While we were fighting childishly again, Ms. Kim Miyoung walked out of the break room gracefully.

“Fighting again? Anyway, it’s good to be young.”

“We weren’t fighting. It’s just Nam Jungyoon being childish.”

“Hey! You’re the one who’s more childish, sunbae!”

“That’s enough, that’s enough. Both of you stop fighting and look at this. I’ve booked the plane tickets and accommodation.”

Ms. Kim Miyoung is a truly amazing nursing assistant. Thanks to her long exposure to herbal ingredients, there’s nothing she can’t do.

I checked the flight ticket reservation details that Ms. Kim Miyoung handed me. It was unbelievable that she had gotten tickets at this price during the Olympic season.

“There happened to be a special deal, so I used the skills I honed helping my daughter with concert ticketing to put in some effort.”

“I want to employ you for life, Medical Assistant.”

“Me too. I want to follow you for life, Medical Assistant.”

“Good, flatter me more. Hearing flattery from handsome young men makes me feel like working.”

While Nam Jungyoon and I were skillfully shaking our rattles next to Ms. Kim Miyoung, the bell on the entrance door physically rattled.

“…What are you all doing?”

It would have been a little embarrassing if another patient had seen this scene. However, fortunately, the first patient of the day was Lee Seolwoo.

Lee Seolwoo stared at the three of us, blinking his already large eyes. His face clearly said, ‘These people get weirder every time I see them.’

“…Ahem, it’s nothing. You’re here for your medicine today, right? Have you finished the prescription from a month ago?”

I pushed Nam Jungyoon into the associate director’s office. Unlike Jung Pureum, Nam Jungyoon, who had a moderately handsome, cheerful look, still failed to win any particular favor from Lee Seolwoo.

Lee Seolwoo was still uncomfortable with moderately handsome Alphas. It was getting to the point where I was confused whether he was picky about Alphas or picky about faces.

How handsome could the Alpha boyfriend he recently started dating be? I found myself becoming curious about someone else’s boyfriend’s face. Nam Jungyoon is pretty good-looking, though.

I’m also a little uncomfortable with Alphas other than Jung Pureum, but Nam Jungyoon was fine. Leaving aside the fact that he was my junior from college, he wasn’t particularly threatening. He’s a Recessive Alpha, and isn’t his personality pretty laid-back?

“Today, I’m here for acupuncture instead of medicine.”

“Where are you feeling discomfort?”

“I’ve had indigestion for a few days.”

Ms. Kim Miyoung naturally guided Lee Seolwoo to the director’s office. I followed behind them. Just as he said about having indigestion, Lee Seolwoo seemed to have lost some weight since I last saw him.

Seeing the ring on his left ring finger, it seems he’s still dating his boyfriend. Is he going through something difficult these days?

I took Lee Seolwoo’s hand to check his pulse. Lee Seolwoo’s hand was so cold that even I, with my poor circulation, was startled.

“Your hands are cold. Your pulse is weak too.”

“…”

“You probably haven’t been eating well because of the indigestion. Are you sleeping well?”

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping too.”

“…Hmm, your energy seems depleted. How’s your heat cycle? It’s probably irregular because of the herbal medicine, but is it still coming consistently?”

“About that…”

Up to that point, Lee Seolwoo suddenly started shedding tears. I was so flustered that I quickly let go of his hand.

“Why, why are you crying all of a sudden?”

“Director…”

I instinctively handed him the box of tissues on the desk, but I had no idea how to deal with a patient who starts crying while I’m checking their pulse. There’s no manual for this kind of thing.

As a self-employed person, dealing with all sorts of troublemakers is inevitable. There are people who bring back herbal medicine that’s half-drunk and ask for a refund, and there are people who lie down on the floor demanding money, claiming they received bad energy from the clinic.

Moreover, because our clinic has been exposed in various media, the number of these troublemakers was double that of other clinics. YouTubers would also loiter around our clinic whenever they were bored.

However, Lee Seolwoo was the first patient to cry while I was checking their pulse. The mister who lay on the floor demanding money, saying he wouldn’t leave even if I beat him to death, was less flustering.

I didn’t even do anything wrong, so why are you crying? Anyone would think I made Lee Seolwoo cry. What did I do wrong to make him cry like this?

“What on earth is love?”

“Huh?”

“My heart is really breaking…”

I regretted my past when I had asked Nam Jungyoon and Ms. Kim Miyoung what on earth love was.

Is this, by any chance, karma? Lee Seolwoo served as an excellent cautionary tale. They must have been quite flustered when I asked them such a question…

After sniffling for a while, Lee Seolwoo, once he had calmed down a bit, began to ramble on about his love life without being asked.

It turned out that Lee Seolwoo’s new Alpha boyfriend was a team doctor for a sports university team. No wonder the team doctor was carelessly leaking information about the players’ injuries. Though leaking information to a lover isn’t a good thing either.

Anyway, it seemed a problem had arisen while they were in the midst of a lovey-dovey relationship. Lee Seolwoo wanted to date the team doctor seriously with marriage in mind, but the team doctor wasn’t ready for it yet, or something.

“He said he can’t date a Dominant Omega like me anymore because he’s a Recessive Alpha.”

“Ah, yes…”

“I’ve been diligently taking my herbal medicine because of him, and I’ve completely ignored other Alphas who hit on me…”

“Yes, I see…”

“How can love change?”

Why are you asking that question at a Korean medicine clinic…

But I couldn’t just kick out a regular patient who consistently brought in revenue. I rummaged through my desk drawer and offered Lee Seolwoo a candy that I eat whenever my blood sugar drops.

“Have some of this and calm down.”

Sniff… “I don’t like strawberry flavor. Give me grape flavor.”

“Alright. Stop crying, stop!”

Once he had a grape-flavored candy in his mouth, Lee Seolwoo quickly calmed down.

I immediately sent Lee Seolwoo to the acupuncture room. I need to quickly give him the acupuncture and send him away. I felt like my energy was being drained by someone else’s love life.