AOA 48

The reason my biological father’s bullshit sounded so convincing was because he didn’t just explode in anger, he spoke slowly and deliberately, as if explaining something reasonable.

Before the regression, I used to get tense, thinking I’d really made a mistake. But now, I just let it wash over me. Ridiculous as it was, I actually felt a little relieved to realize he hadn’t changed one bit from before.

“When are you getting discharged?”

“They said I need a few days of rest, so probably Wednesday or Thursday. I don’t think I can go back to work at the gallery until then.”

“I’ll take care of notifying them. As soon as you’re discharged, go to Dr. Choi’s clinic.”

“Dr. Choi? But I’m not feeling sick.”

I lowered my eyes, avoiding his gaze, but ended up looking up again without meaning to. Dr. Choi was one of his golf buddies, a physician. I’d already had an MRI at one of the top hospitals in the country. There was no reason to go see an internal medicine specialist.

“That’s what makes you an idiot.”

“……”

“You don’t even know what I’m talking about, do you? You have no clue. Am I wrong?”

“No. I didn’t understand.”

I had learned, many times over, that in situations like this, it was best to lower myself and play along. My biological father liked to think of himself as a man of dignity and intellect, but he was nothing if not petty.

Before the regression, when I became Jeong Minchae, I talked back to him a few times, and he responded by canceling my younger sibling’s surgery. His condition was deteriorating by the day. Without the surgery, he risked long-term complications.

In the end, I got on my knees and begged. I promised I’d do whatever he wanted from then on. It was humiliating and infuriating, but I had to do anything to save my sibling.

Ever since that day, I nodded at everything he said, no matter how ridiculous or senseless. I agreed with all of it.

He was only satisfied when I acted completely obedient. Today was no different.

“Vice Chairman Baek used a suppressant on you to try and block your manifestation. You managed to manifest safely anyway, but do you think Baek’s just going to sit quietly now? Don’t you realize he’ll try every possible method to make sure you can’t get pregnant?”

Everything he said was true. Baek Jaehan was the type who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

If he’d used a suppressant to delay my omega manifestation, then he wouldn’t hesitate to use drugs to prevent pregnancy either.

Not that I wanted to get pregnant. But the problem was, I had no idea what kind of drugs Baek Jaehan might use. Knowing him, it might even be poison.

“Maybe you can’t avoid injections, but be careful about what you put in your mouth. Especially pills. Only take what Dr. Choi prescribes, and if something tastes strange, spit it out. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Even before the regression, the moment he found out I was pregnant, my biological father got all meticulous, saying there was no telling what Baek Jaehan might do. Since it never hurt to be careful, I nodded earnestly.

After that, he kept nagging me for a long time. Now that I was a dominant omega, it should be easier to get pregnant, so he told me to hurry up and have a child, then left.

I saw him off to the elevator and returned to my hospital room, only to realize something was wrong. It had been about two weeks since the day of the charity concert, when I had sex with Baek Mugyeong and took an emergency contraceptive afterward. I didn’t know whether that would show up in a blood test.

I searched around on my phone just in case, and the results said it depended on the type of test.

I thought it over for a while but came to an answer quickly. If I was unlucky and it did show up, I could just say Baek Jaehan must’ve slipped me something.

“Ugh…”

Even though the dilemma was easily solved, I couldn’t stop myself from groaning. What I wanted was simple. I just wanted to live a normal life, without being used by anyone and without the threat of being killed.

But my current situation was like descending a steep cliff. If I moved carefully, step by step, I could get to safety. But one misstep, and I’d fall straight down.

So far, everything was fine. I’d avoided the effects of the suppressant. Now all I had to do was make money, get a divorce, or live as a show-window couple.

“Perfect.”

Satisfied with my perfect future plan, I stretched and smiled. Compared to the hopelessness before the regression, I was practically overflowing with hope now.

I’d even made a ranked list of what to do once I made money. As a Korean, the first step would naturally be buying a house in my own name. Just imagining having a place of my own put me in a better mood.

I couldn’t wait for that day to come.

*

The next day, I didn’t go to the gallery. My father had probably informed my stepmother, but just to be safe, I contacted my supervisor right before Monday’s start time and officially submitted my medical leave.

Time flew by at the hospital. I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner, watched TV and YouTube, studied English conversation, and took walks, the days passed in a blink.

It was just a few days into the new year. Since it was the middle of winter, it was too cold to go out to the hospital’s outdoor gardens, but I could still wander around the lobby, corridors, and indoor lounges without issue.

And then, by chance, I ended up exchanging names with someone.

“Hello? We meet again.”

It was Tuesday evening. After dinner, I’d taken a walk with my IV stand around the VIP ward and headed for the lounge. There, a man I’d seen earlier that day greeted me with a friendly smile.

The tall, kind-looking man introduced himself as Lee Jaegwang. He said his grandmother was hospitalized in the VIP ward and he was visiting her. I had first seen him that afternoon in the lounge.

Jaegwang was friendly and easy to talk to. After just a few words, we were on a first-name basis. He said he ran a small IT startup and, being the most free-spirited among his cousins, often came to visit his grandmother.

I mentioned I’d been hospitalized due to a head injury. Most of our conversation was just small talk about yesterday’s heavy snow. Even that didn’t last more than a few minutes before we said goodbye.

It was common to chat with strangers in a hospital. And it was also common to run into the same people again in the same places.

“Hello.”

I nodded politely in greeting.

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Yes. I’m walking around to help digest.”

“Want to grab a coffee? There’s a café on the first floor. It should still be open.”

“No, I have to avoid caffeine while I’m hospitalized.”

The doctor said I needed to avoid caffeine for a while because of the swelling in my brain. So I hadn’t had any coffee since being admitted.

“They’ve got other stuff too. How about juice, an ade, or a smoothie?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

“Ah, well, I tried. Want a sweet bean jelly? My grandma loves them, and she gave me a few.”

“Thank you.”

Jaegwang pulled a small yokan out of his jacket pocket and handed it to me. Sharing snacks in a hospital lounge wasn’t unusual, so I took it with a word of thanks. We sat side by side and nibbled on the yokan. It was soft, chewy, and delicious.

As we ate, we chatted about various things. Jaegwang talked cheerfully about how his cousins had gone to Gangwon-do and gotten snowed in.

“Let’s take a walk again tomorrow. I’ll bring a different snack next time. Is there anything you can’t eat?”

“I’m being discharged tomorrow.”

The only time I’d needed painkillers was Sunday, when my head hurt. Since Monday morning, I’d been perfectly fine and able to walk around. I’d insisted I was well enough to leave, and the doctor finally agreed. I had even sent Baek Mugyeong a message.

“Really? Well, here’s my card. Let’s stay in touch. I’d like to buy you a meal sometime, it feels too soon to say goodbye.”

Jaegwang smiled warmly and pulled out a business card case, handing me one of his cards. I might be a little dense, but even I knew what that meant.

He was an alpha. I couldn’t smell any pheromones on him, but I knew right away. And I was sure he’d figured out I was an omega too.

Unlike other alphas who reeked of pheromones the moment we met, Jaegwang was polite. Instead of asking for my number, he gave me his card. I appreciated the courtesy, but still declined.

“I’ll have to pass.”

“Whoa… a solid wall, huh? Am I not your type?”

Jaegwang tucked the card back into his pocket and asked directly. His tone and expression were playful, so I answered honestly.

“I’m married.”

I almost held up my left hand but remembered I wasn’t wearing my ring.

When I’d woken up on Sunday, both my ring and watch were gone. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but I remembered yesterday and asked the caregiver and Baek Mugyeong. It turned out Baek Mugyeong had taken them home for safekeeping.

Still, being married was a perfectly valid reason to say no.

“Married?”

“Yes.”

Jaegwang looked genuinely surprised, as if he hadn’t expected it. Then he chuckled.

“You married young. I don’t mind, though. So, what do you think?”

He was still playful. His tone was no different from when he’d offered coffee.

He was a bad guy.

I clicked my tongue internally. I’d never met a man who said “I don’t care if you’re married” and turned out to be decent.