ATGRA 10

Jung Pureum’s first love began in the fifth grade of elementary school.

Compared to his parents, who met in the athletics department and became a campus couple, it was quite a precocious start. From a young age, Jung Pureum had a strong romantic streak.

His first love was, unfortunately, an intense unrequited crush.

It was great that love had begun, but the object of his affection wasn’t ideal. Jung Pureum seriously pondered countless times why he fell for his next-door hyung, Moon Yeonghwa, at first sight.

To be honest, Moon Yeonghwa’s personality wasn’t great. He wasn’t a bad person, but he had an overwhelming sense of self. Sure, he was a smart and skilled oriental medicine doctor, but calling himself a “great genius” out loud was hardly normal.

Their first impression wasn’t great either. At twenty, Moon Yeonghwa regularly blew up his kitchen, and it was because of this that Jung Pureum’s mother, unable to stand by, brought him over for dinner.

A recessive Omega college student who had just moved in next door. He was said to be attending oriental medicine school, but to Jung Pureum back then, Moon Yeonghwa looked like a zombie controlled by a dark wizard called a professor.

His skinny frame from not eating properly and his face, weighed down by dark circles, looked exhausted. Though he had the sharp, beautiful features of a long-eyed pretty boy, he seemed more worn out from assignments and clinicals than anything else.

Yet Jung Pureum liked this Moon Yeonghwa. He liked him so much that Moon Yeonghwa was the subject of his first wet dream during puberty.

That day, miserably washing his sheets, Jung Pureum made a resolution. If it’s come to this, he’d at least try confessing properly!

But his confessions were frequently blocked. No matter what Jung Pureum did, Moon Yeonghwa only saw him as a cute next-door little brother.

The eight-year age gap was the biggest obstacle to his love. They say love has no borders, no gender, no age—but his unrequited love had borders and lacked the other two.

At least it had borders, he thought, but it lacked a secondary gender too.

Moon Yeonghwa was a recessive Omega. There’s no rule saying Betas can’t date Omegas, but Betas, who can’t sense Alpha or Omega pheromones, usually only date other Betas.

To use an analogy, if Alphas and Omegas are hares, Betas are rabbits. They’re in the same broad category, but different species.

Because his noona, Jung Saebom, was an Alpha, Jung Pureum seriously dreamed of being an Alpha himself.

In looks and build, Jung Pureum seemed highly likely to be an Alpha. With an Alpha mother, if he strongly inherited her side’s genes, he should be an Alpha too. Come on, maternal genes, step up!

But his secondary gender test result came back Beta. It was a stubborn victory for his paternal genes.

That day, Jung Pureum’s world crumbled.

His mother was an Alpha, his father a Beta. They got married and built a family, so it’s possible! Though rare, Betas can marry Alphas or Omegas! Why didn’t hyung have even an ant’s tear worth of interest in him…

If he wasn’t interested, he could at least stop being so nice.

Despite his questionable personality, Moon Yeonghwa was warm to the next-door siblings. He had a huge ego but bought them fried chicken. He preached a lot but bought them beef…

And he was needlessly pretty. (This is Jung Pureum’s personal opinion.) No matter how much he thought about it, Jung Pureum believed the biggest reason he fell for Moon Yeonghwa was his face.

The one time Jung Saebom listened to Jung Pureum’s love troubles, she recommended an eye test when he called Moon Yeonghwa “pretty.” To think he saw something in a guy always sipping herbal medicine. After that, Jung Saebom stopped hitting Jung Pureum’s head. What if he got even crazier?

Despite her reaction, Jung Pureum became a master at finding Moon Yeonghwa’s beautiful traits day by day.

You have to look closely to see beauty. Moon Yeonghwa was like that. He still wandered like a zombie, but no matter how many years passed, Moon Yeonghwa, who always gave his all, sparkled just the same.

He’s handsome yet pretty. Pretty yet handsome. And on top of that, he’s kind. It was hard not to fall for him.

Moreover, Moon Yeonghwa unknowingly had a huge impact on Jung Pureum’s athletic career. Whenever Jung Pureum felt like giving up on the grueling elite athlete path, Moon Yeonghwa was always there.

When he was struggling with his coach, or when he won his first medal at a middle school competition… Moon Yeonghwa always came to watch Jung Pureum.

[‘Don’t give up just because your pride’s hurt.’]

[‘…’]

[‘If you think you can do it, you really can.’]

I believe in you.

Moon Yeonghwa was the only one who consistently said that to young Jung Pureum. Even his parents sometimes doubted his potential as an athlete, but Moon Yeonghwa never once considered Jung Pureum’s failure.

Like a climbing plant wrapping around a support to grow, Jung Pureum’s feelings for Moon Yeonghwa deepened day by day.

[‘Hyung, I like you.’]

[‘Huh? I like you too, our Pureum.’]

But Moon Yeonghwa saw Jung Pureum as something like family.

While Jung Pureum lost sleep over Moon Yeonghwa, Moon Yeonghwa casually did all sorts of nonsense next to him. It was thanks to Jung Pureum being a Beta.

When with Alpha Jung Saebom or the next-door mom, Moon Yeonghwa showed some tension, but with Jung Pureum, he was as relaxed as melted cheese.

[‘Hyung… are you comfortable with me?’]

[‘Obviously. No matter what anyone says, Betas are the best.’]

[‘…’]

[‘I can be this relaxed and still feel safe. It’s the best.’]

How could a teenager face so many trials and hardships?

Objectively, Jung Pureum wasn’t facing any real trials or hardships. But the heart of a middle schooler nursing a painful unrequited love was torn to shreds. Secondary gender—what kind of thing was it to drive such a wedge between him and hyung…

Unaware of Jung Pureum’s feelings, Moon Yeonghwa would shove a chicken drumstick in the crying boy’s mouth. Despite such atrocities from his crush, Jung Pureum cried harder because he liked Moon Yeonghwa so much.

He swore he’d date this hyung no matter what it took.

Young Jung Pureum vowed while chewing chicken. No matter what he did, Moon Yeonghwa treated him as a kind, cute, adorable, cheeky next-door little brother, which only fueled his determination.

That determination peaked after entering high school.

Jung Pureum started quietly supporting Moon Yeonghwa, who was busy with college life. He was busy with his own athletic career, but Moon Yeonghwa was the type who wouldn’t respond unless contacted first.

Moreover, Moon Yeonghwa didn’t easily notice Jung Pureum’s efforts. He called himself a great genius, but he was a complete fool. Even after saying “I like you” about 3,891 times, he’d just say, “Yeah, I like you too,” and brush it off.

The more Moon Yeonghwa did this, the more Jung Pureum started to resent being a Beta.

As an athlete, Betas were treated worse than Alphas, but he never wanted to be an Alpha for his career—only for love, about 9,125 times.

Every night, Jung Pureum prayed to the Alpha god as if throwing punches. Such a god probably didn’t exist, but praying to major deities like God or Buddha felt too blasphemous.

[‘I don’t know, just make me an Alpha so Yeonghwa hyung will notice me.’]

It was a simple wish. Jung Pureum firmly believed even a nonexistent Alpha god would grant such a wish.

And whether his faith moved the Alpha god or not, Jung Pureum actually became an Alpha. Shock! The Alpha god exists!

Manifesting during the college entrance exam was a bit embarrassing, but since Jung Pureum was preparing for sports university admission as a swimmer, it wasn’t a bad thing.

After becoming an Alpha, he got love calls from several major universities. As Moon Yeonghwa said, it’s a crappy world that judges people by secondary gender.

Not only did his secondary gender change from Beta to Alpha, but he also gained the perfect conditions to shake Moon Yeonghwa up.

In the middle of the night, Jung Pureum offered a double thumbs-up to the Alpha god with a glass of water. Whatever it was, thank you. Now he’d hit the gas with no brakes. Alphamen.

Living next door for so long, Jung Pureum learned all there was to know about Moon Yeonghwa. That’s why he used “lawsuit” and “contract.”

His crush was a bit cunning. He said he’d take responsibility, but it was obvious he planned to brush it off. Right now, Moon Yeonghwa’s small head was probably filled with thoughts of how to sell the Gongjindan to make a big name.

So Jung Pureum decided to scam Moon Yeonghwa back. Since hyung probably wasn’t thinking much, he’d make him think by tying him up with a contract.

Seeing Moon Yeonghwa sign the contract thoughtlessly, Jung Pureum felt bittersweet.

Moon Yeonghwa would never see him as a man, even if he died. Shouting “I love you” at a wall for eight years would drive anyone crazy.

Thanks to swimming vigorously whenever he felt like losing his mind, Jung Pureum’s personal records improved day by day.

But even after becoming an Alpha, Moon Yeonghwa didn’t truly see him. Fortunately or unfortunately, he seemed to respond to his pheromones, but that was it.

He considered going all out with pheromones or timing it with Moon Yeonghwa’s heat cycle, but feared Moon Yeonghwa would never look at him again if he tried that, so Jung Pureum held back and kept holding back.

He had no idea how to start a proper relationship with a hyung who only saw him as a kid.