ATGRA 72

Unlike me, who gets into fights just by existing, Jung Pureum easily gained the favor of anyone. It was a remarkable talent that even money couldn’t buy.

However, that talent was useless in front of my grandfather. Although Jung Pureum arrived carrying a fruit basket and even a Go board, he was not easily welcomed by my grandfather.

“Yeonghwa. You need to meet someone who can provide for you, not someone you have to provide for.”

“I can provide for Yeonghwa hyung too, you know.”

“Ahem, how dare you interrupt when an adult is speaking!”

Even though he’s my family, my grandfather is such an old-fashioned person.

My heart pounded because of my grandfather, who spouted boomer-like comments as easily as he breathed. He was a precious family member to me, but to Jung Pureum, this must feel like a bolt from the blue.

To make matters worse, my grandfather made the blameless Jung Pureum kneel. Then he began to lecture him at length about the proper conduct an alpha should have.

“So, what do your parents do?”

“Ah, Grandfather! You can’t ask things like that these days!”

“What do you mean, I can’t! You have to know about the family to understand the person!”

What’s with this background check on a first meeting in the 21st century? If I were in Jung Pureum’s shoes, I would have stormed out of my seat immediately.

“Um, both of them are former national athletes.”

“National athletes?”

“Yes, after my father retired, he started a small business…”

At the mention of national athletes, my grandfather showed interest. As if he wasn’t burdened by my grandfather’s prying questions, Jung Pureum calmly answered everything he was asked with a cheerful, smiling face.

That must be why he gains favor so easily with everyone. I was once again impressed by Jung Pureum’s consistent kindness. How difficult it is to laugh off someone else’s rudeness.

Perhaps because he had good stamina, Jung Pureum seemed calm even in this situation. I probably couldn’t act like Jung Pureum even if I died and came back to life. My innate nature is just too hot-tempered.

“…And, I also recently became a national athlete.”

“Oh…”

“I’ve decided to imprint and marry Yeonghwa hyung if I win a gold medal at the Olympics next year.”

“…Ack! Why would you say that!”

I shot up from my seat without realizing it.

Why would you say that! I couldn’t even begin to guess how my grandfather would react. Isn’t that the kind of thing you should say only after things are more settled?

Sure enough, my grandfather looked at me with an expression that said, ‘Is that true?’ I frantically shook my head. To drop a bomb with such a gentle tone.

“Hyung, why are you shaking your head?”

“Hey, you…”

“Don’t tell me, you’re not going to clam up this time just because we didn’t write a contract, are you?”

“Ahem, Yeonghwa. You explain it slowly.”

My grandfather made me sit next to Jung Pureum. I knelt in the posture of a great sinner and racked my brain.

“I mean, a gold medal isn’t some good-boy sticker. It’s not something you can win just because you want to.”

“So you thought I couldn’t win it, hyung…”

“Aargh! No, I… I, of course, think you’ll do well, Pureum…”

“You two are making quite a scene.”

“Hyung, I’m okay. Even if you don’t believe in me…”

“I do believe you, okay? I totally believe you.”

Our living room instantly descended into chaos.

Jung Pureum rubbed his dry eyes with a pitiful expression. Pretending to cry had now become a habit. My grandfather was looking at us with a fed-up expression.

“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Yeonghwa, you also act like a complete fool in front of the person you like.”

A fool, he says. It was so unfair. If we’re being technical, my grandfather was also completely henpecked by my late grandmother. However, I couldn’t commit the fiery act of filial impiety by saying to my grandfather, ‘I got all this from you, you know?’

I just whacked the back of Jung Pureum, who was sitting next to me.

“Hyung, that hurts…”

“What do you mean it hurts! And I meant that winning three gold medals would be difficult, of course you’ll win one!”

“So you might not want to imprint and marry me, but you do want to date me…”

“No, that’s not what this is about right now!”

As I vehemently denied it, my grandfather nodded his head with a look of complete understanding.

“An athlete husband isn’t so bad these days…”

“Grandfather, why are you being like this too!”

“This old man is convinced now. Yes, new daughter-in-law. How old did you say you were?”

“I’m twenty years old.”

“Ho ho, Yeonghwa, you’re quite capable.”

“What do you mean, new daughter-in-law!”

Ignoring whether I was collapsing with an apoplectic fit behind him, my grandfather helped Jung Pureum to his feet. As soon as he stood up, Jung Pureum took an apple and a pear from the fruit basket and began to peel them demurely.

Anyone could see it was the image of an excellent new daughter-in-law. I knew he was good at cooking, but his fruit-peeling skills were also top-notch.

“It’s my good fortune to be getting a young husband.”

“Just a moment ago, you were telling me to meet someone who could provide for me.”

“He says he’ll win three gold medals. Won’t he be able to provide for one of you sufficiently?”

“Don’t worry, Grandfather.”

It was unspeakably absurd. Was it okay for his attitude to change like flipping his palm?

“Three children would be nice.”

“I think three might be a bit hard on hyung…”

“I’m going crazy, really…”

As if he had never been wary of Jung Pureum, my grandfather was completely won over and even started playing Go with him.

“You should have a traditional wedding ceremony. The parking lots at modern wedding halls are so cramped…”

Leaving the two of them to their passionate Go game, I just stuffed the beautifully peeled apple slices into my mouth. I could understand my mom, but for even my grandfather to take a liking to Jung Pureum in an instant… this was truly unexpected.

My grandfather stayed at my house for the entire weekend. As if he wasn’t tired of it, Jung Pureum visited our house the next day as well.

I did my absolute best to stop Jung Pureum from trying to introduce himself to the lady next door with my grandfather. If that happened, it would inevitably turn into a ‘petite’ first meeting of the families.

It was true that I liked Jung Pureum, but I still wasn’t sure about imprinting or marriage. In fact, while I was looking forward to dating Jung Pureum, I was also afraid.

Leaving the age difference aside, I was worried about the future where I would be framed as an omega who seduced an alpha athlete. I could just think that getting cursed at would extend my lifespan and be done with it, but I couldn’t help but worry about what kind of negative impact it would have on Jung Pureum.

“Yeonghwa. Come here and sit down.”

That evening, after Jung Pureum had gone back to his own home, my grandfather called me. As if his earlier domineering arrival was a lie, his expression was now much gentler and more benevolent.

“My worrying about you, it’s hard on you sometimes too, isn’t it?”

“…”

“When you get old, all that grows are worries for your children and grandchildren. It must be frustrating and exasperating, but for how many more years will you have to put up with my worrying.”

I thought I would just get a lecture about not cooking proper meals. This was something heavier than a lecture.

Just as my grandfather said, ever since I manifested as an omega, my family started to worry about me excessively. Because my entire family loved me, they wanted to protect me.

Everyone was reluctant to talk about secondary genders in front of me. On days when a distant relative would occasionally ask, ‘What’s to become of Yeonghwa, being an omega?’ my grandfather would fly into a rage. Not to mention my dad who suggested we immigrate to the United States, even my mom, who worked as a traditional medicine doctor, took a break from work for a while and hovered by my side.

In middle school, that was a real source of stress. I felt a great burden within that family. Some might say I’m complaining despite having it good, but to me, it all felt like overprotection.

To be the cause of so much worry just because of my secondary gender. If you take away the secondary gender, I am a human being who can fully pull my own weight. However, their affection tested my limits at every moment.

“An omega being born into a family with only betas, we were flustered too. Because we naturally assumed you would be a beta.”

No matter how much the world has improved, omegas are still the target of prejudice. They are a minority even among the already minority secondary genders, and the social perception of them is not good either.

My family knew that fact well. That’s why I was always afraid of failure. I felt that if I made even a small mistake, I would hear ‘I knew it.’ There’s nothing to be done, he’s an omega. Hurry back home. We’ll protect you…

Thanks to that, I developed a traditional medicine that completely suppresses heat cycles even before I developed Gongjindan. Because I wanted to prove that I was not swayed by my secondary gender.

“Telling you to get married is also because I’m worried about you. Me, of course, and your parents will also have to leave your side one day…”

“I’m all grown up too, Grandfather. I’m not at an age where I need someone to protect me.”

“But what can I do when I’m still worried.”

“…”

“You are very stubborn and have a strong personality, so if someone tries to suppress you, you won’t bend, you’ll snap and break.”

My grandfather reached out and stroked my head. As his wrinkled hand rubbed my hair vigorously, I felt like I had returned to being eight years old, not twenty-eight.

I hesitated and then leaned against my grandfather’s chest. My grandfather held me tight. Every time I felt loved like this, every time someone cared for me blindly, my chest felt tight.

Would I have been the cause of such worry if I were an alpha?

“People don’t die just from breaking a few times. Everyone lives while continuing to break.”

“Yeonghwa…”

“I took after you, Grandfather, so my worries have grown too.”

It suddenly occurred to me that the way my family worried about me and the way I worried about Jung Pureum’s future were quite similar. Jung Pureum must have felt frustrated like me at times. Perhaps he too was driven mad by the affection I gave him.

It is a true paradox that one comes to distrust someone because they love them. Within that blind affection directed at me, I realized one clear fact.

I loved Jung Pureum as much as my family loved me. And in the very way that had been the most difficult for me.