ATGRA 47

After my conversation with the woman from next door, I agonized over it again and again. I had my own work to do, and I couldn’t just neglect my clinic solely for Jung Pureum’s sake.

However, no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed I was the one who had to yield.

I was the one who turned Jung Pureum into an alpha, I was the one who made him fall out of favor with the coach, and I was the cause of him getting banned from the selection match… At this point, I am the root of all evil, three strikes.

Moving was a failure due to Seoul’s murderous housing prices, and storming into Jung Pureum’s school to grab the coach by the collar was also impossible. I already tried infiltrating once, and it only made the problem bigger.

The best course of action I could take now was to return to my family home. I wouldn’t be going down for good, just until Jung Pureum could safely participate in the national team selection match.

‘For someone whose pheromones manifested in an abnormal way, Pureum’s have been quite stable.’

I recalled what the woman had said in front of the elevator.

‘But lately, they’ve been all over the place. To the point where they’re affecting the other alphas…’

I might not be responsible for other things, but this was definitely my fault.

In programs about animal ecology or biology documentaries, you often hear narration like this. The male in mating season begins to be wary of other males around him… et cetera, et cetera. Oh dear, the ferocious male has started to attack the surrounding males!

There are rare cases of alphas whose pheromones become unstable due to the influence of an omega’s pheromones. Well, in the case of omegas, the majority of them are like that due to the secondary gender hierarchy.

In any case, such instances were quite rare for alphas. It was something that almost never happened unless a dominant omega decided to use their pheromones to overwhelm a recessive alpha.

If not that, then it meant that in a couple that wasn’t imprinted, the alpha was being overly cautious of his surroundings because he was too concerned about his omega partner.

Usually, even this is rare. In this day and age, if you’re dating, you’re dating, and if you’re imprinted, you’re imprinted. It’s extremely rare for an alpha to be anxious about an alpha-omega relationship.

Since I’m a recessive omega, the reason for Jung Pureum’s unstable pheromones was likely the latter. Even though he pretended it wasn’t a big deal, my visit to the school seemed to have provoked him.

In truth, unstable alpha pheromones aren’t a huge problem. Alphas are naturally healthy, so it wouldn’t have a negative effect on their health like it does on me.

The real problem was that Jung Pureum wasn’t an ordinary person but an athlete.

If his pheromones became unstable, the other alphas training with him would be affected as well. Their rut cycles could be brought on earlier, or they could become overly sensitive towards each other.

Even if they weren’t competing right away, having problems with their condition management was a big deal. On top of that, a swimming pool was a place that was difficult to separate into an independent space.

There were a total of three ways for Jung Pureum’s pheromones to stabilize again.

One, he could imprint with an omega. This was absolutely out of the question. He’s only twenty, what the hell is this about imprinting? What crazy person in the world would choose their lifelong partner for the purpose of pheromone control?

Two, he could live the life of a monk, like I did in the past. It would be a bit slow, but if he drank herbal medicine to suppress his rut cycle and lived while just pinching his thigh for about three years, his pheromones would become not just stable, but dormant. However, Jung Pureum didn’t have that kind of time. If he was going to do that for three years, it would be faster to just go to the military.

The last method was for the cause of Jung Pureum’s pheromone instability to completely disappear.

However, whether I rolled forward or backward thinking about it, that cause was me. Unless Jung Pureum had been secretly fooling around with another omega besides me, I was the one who had directly gotten involved with him.

This was why my heart had been pounding so much, worried I would ruin his future. My heart always beats, of course, but it went absolutely crazy whenever I stood in front of Jung Pureum. I thought it was a myocardial infarction, but it seems it was a double combo of worry and anxiety.

I have to get away from him as soon as possible.

No matter how much the coach burns with a love-hate feeling for Jung Pureum, he would have no choice but to lift the participation ban if Jung Pureum’s pheromones stabilized. It would be beneficial for his own career, too. If he still prevented him from participating after the fundamental problem was solved, that would be an abuse of power.

My physical condition happens to be bad right now, so it would be fine if I used recuperation as an excuse. The clinic is busy, but both Ms. Kim Miyoung and Nam Jungyoon used to say like a habit that they would rather take over the director’s duties for a little while than clean up a dead body.

“You’re out today.”

In the midst of all this, Jung Pureum, oblivious to my complicated feelings, consistently visited the clinic.

I was absolutely dumbfounded and flabbergasted. His chance at the national team selection match had gone up in smoke, yet he had the leisure to come see me. If it were me, I would have holed up for three days, beating the ground in frustration.

In fact, if I were in Jung Pureum’s situation, the coach would not have survived unscathed. I would have thrown all sorts of fits until he gave me back my spot.

However, Jung Pureum looked calm for someone who had lost such a huge opportunity. Does this kid have no ambition? I feel like I’m going to die from frustration.

“You clueless brat…”

“What?”

“Aren’t you even angry?”

“Ah, so you found out too, hyung.”

Jung Pureum rubbed his cheek with an awkward expression. He followed up with the carefree comment that while it was a shame, he could just aim for the next chance.

The person directly involved, Jung Pureum, was so nonchalant, while I was dying of anger. God, Buddha, and the God of Omegas! Your poor little lamb is about to die from a stress-induced illness!

“It’s really okay. The Olympics isn’t the only competition…”

Other competitions don’t get you a military exemption!

I also have no intention of emphasizing getting first place to Jung Pureum no matter what. No matter how much the world is an infinitely competitive society, a kind, cute, and affectionate person like Jung Pureum can live without being hung up on rankings.

However, it’s a different story when a military exemption is on the line.

Athletes already have short careers! He can’t waste his precious time and even more precious body in a place like the army.

“I’m not okay.”

I shot up from my seat.

“Jung Pureum, you are banned from the clinic for the time being.”

“What?”

“Even if you come, I won’t be here anyway. I’m going down to my family home. So, from now on, just think only about participating in the national team selection match.”

“…What?”

From behind the break room, Ms. Kim Miyoung and Nam Jungyoon were watching the conversation between me and Jung Pureum with great interest. I heard Nam Jungyoon mutter, ‘What’s with the director again?’

I offered my condolences to that Nam Jungyoon. You’ll have a hard time while I’m gone, Vice Director. The Vice Director originally exists to take over the Director’s work. I should give him a hefty incentive and not feel sorry.

“Let’s have our own time until you become a national athlete.”

Jung Pureum’s eyes widened. It seemed he realized I was serious about what I had just said.

Jung Pureum desperately grabbed my arm, but I coldly shook his hand off. I heard Ms. Kim Miyoung lament, ‘A national athlete, what’s so great about that…’

What do you mean, what is it! A national athlete is a national athlete!

It’s because the people around him are so easygoing that Jung Pureum has no ambition. This is unacceptable. A gold medal is the only legal means to get a military exemption in a divided country!

I decided to steel my heart.

Now was the time to distance myself from Jung Pureum for the sake of his future. At least for now, becoming a national athlete was the most important thing.

While I was preparing to go down to my family home, Jung Pureum really tried to stop me using all sorts of methods. I told him to go grab the coach by the collar in that time, but he wouldn’t listen.

It got so bad that Jung Saebom even approached me first, asking me to just stay put instead of going to my family home because his brother was driving him crazy.

However, the most important thing right now was Jung Pureum’s national team selection match. To live sanely in Korea, you needed success more than you needed people.

—Right, you’re coming down for a little while to recuperate?

“Yes. I won’t be there for long.”

—You’re the one who wouldn’t even show your face unless it was a holiday, even when I asked you to come down for a bit. Are you really sick?

“…No? I’m perfectly healthy, just a bit tired. I had a lot going on recently, you know. It all got resolved, though.”

The moment she found out I was actually physically ill, I would have to have a showdown with my grandfather.

I repeatedly emphasized that my blood pressure was normal, with a low of 80 and a high of 120, and that while I lacked a bit of muscle mass, I was an adult male with no problems overall.

—…Alright. Since you’re coming down, say hello to your grandfather too.

However, my mom let my words go in one ear and out the other. Telling me to say hello to my grandfather probably meant I should stop by and at least let him check my pulse.

My vision was already going dark. It was a mandatory course to see my grandfather when I went down to my family home. This wasn’t an event that could be skipped.

He was someone I deeply respected, and I really love my grandfather too, but he was sometimes burdensome. It felt like I might choke on his excessive love, I guess you could say.

“Haaa…”

A sigh escaped me on its own. This is why I tried not to go to my family home if I could help it…

However, this was the best way to take responsibility for Jung Pureum’s military exemption. Was Jung Pureum the type of guy who would stand up to the coach just by scaring him a little?