MW 4

Being twins born from the same womb, a high compatibility rate was expected, but he had been worried about the numerical difference. It was truly nothing short of a godsend.

“Yes. But this…”

Dohae looked at Dr. Yang, whose expression had suddenly darkened, and stared into his wavering eyes. As if understanding, he rested his chin on his hand and spoke.

“Dr. Yang. Do you know how much you’ve taken in research funds all this time?”

“Young Master.”

“You’ve been diligently taking a billion won a year, so you can’t go back on your word now, talking about conscience or a doctor’s conviction. You should think of your family.”

Over the past five years of receiving pheromone transfusions, his own body had also stabilized to some extent. There were only six months left until the promised five-year period that was set when this all began.

“Don’t have any useless thoughts and just prepare well. And watch your mouth around that bastard.”

His business finished, Dohae tossed the documents he was holding aside and got up from his seat.

“I’m still at the hospital. I think I’ll be done soon… Ah, I’ll call you back later.”

As he stepped out the door, Mrs. Lee, who seemed to have been on the phone with a man she was recently seeing, hastily hung up with a flustered look.

“You don’t need to hide it from me.”

“A-hem. How are you feeling?”

“My body’s fine, but I feel like crap. Oh, more importantly, the compatibility test results are out.”

“Really?”

Mrs. Lee, who had been wearing an indifferent expression despite her words of concern, widened her eyes at the mention of the compatibility test results. Although it was something she had proceeded with because Dohae had a hold on her weakness, her future depended on this. Dohae watched her gulp down a dry swallow and whispered quietly.

“Seo Yijae’s omega gland. I think I can receive the transplant.”

“That’s wonderful! We can hold the wedding ceremony right after the transplant!”

“If this goes well, both you, Mother, and Father can become in-laws with the Kangmyeong Group.”

At Dohae’s words, her face, imagining the future, became more flushed than ever. Watching his adoptive mother, Dohae frowned at his phone, which had been vibrating continuously, and said.

“I have an appointment, so I’ll be leaving first.”

“Go ahead.”

Passing by her, whose eyes crinkled as if this was for the better, Dohae exited the VIP ward. He irritably swept his hair back at his phone screen, which showed over 10 missed calls. Just then, the phone rang again, and he answered it irritably.

“What.”

—Gu Dohae, where are you now? I’m back in Korea, let’s meet up?

Dohae, who had answered the phone irritably, raised an eyebrow at the voice of someone other than the friend saved in his contacts.

—What? You don’t remember me?

“Who are you?”

—Oh Seokmin.

Hanjoo Group, Oh Seokmin. Dohae quickly recalled the name in his head, then erased the irritated tone from his voice and spoke to him.

“Send me the address. I’m on my way.”

Perfect timing, since he was in a shitty mood anyway. Excited at the thought of getting wasted for the first time in a while, Dohae’s lips curled up into a grin. Not long after he started driving, a familiar building came into view.

Dohae tossed his car keys to the valet and entered the bar. He followed the staff’s guidance into a private room.

“Oh, Gu Dohae, you’re here?”

Seokmin, who had returned to Korea after a long time, shot up from his seat to greet Dohae. The way he, a recessive alpha, hit on people all the time as if he were a real alpha was pathetic, but Oh Seokmin’s family was better than expected. Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to be friendly with him, Dohae smoothed the deep frown on his forehead and put on a natural smile.

“It’s been a while. Are you back for good now?”

Three years ago, Seokmin had caused trouble at school and received criticism from the media, leading to him being kicked out of Korea and sent to the US. And now, a year later, his return to Korea seemed to indicate that his grandfather, the chairman of Hanjoo Group, had cooled down.

Perhaps because of his smiling eyes and gentle inquiry, Seokmin, who was now in a much better mood, spilled all the details of his family affairs with a face full of laughter.

“Hehe, that’s what happened. I heard you got into Hangang University too. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”

It had been bearable since they only contacted each other occasionally. At the news that they would be attending the same university, Dohae chewed the inside of his cheek and nodded with an awkward expression.

“Ah. By the way, Kim Yoonchan, why is this bastard so late? Still no word from him?”

“I don’t know, he said he hooked something good and would be a little late?”

Another of Oh Seokmin’s friends, who was playing a game on his phone nearby, answered while continuously tapping the screen. Dohae, curious about the name he had never heard among Seokmin’s group, asked about Yoonchan.

“Kim Yoonchan?”

“Ah, he’s this bastard’s lackey who’s damn good at mixing drinks.”

From that answer, Dohae understood that Yoonchan came from an insignificant family and, returning to his usual self, lost interest. He had come to blow off some steam, but the drinking party was more boring than he thought. Dohae rubbed his eyes and poured some whiskey into his glass.

“Hey, what’s the fun in drinking alone? Let’s have a toast, Dohae.”

A foul alpha scent wafted from Seokmin as he slyly wrapped an arm around Dohae’s shoulder and pressed his body close. Dohae ground his teeth, and just as he was about to push his shoulder away, the door burst open with a bang, and someone came in.

“You fucking omega!”

“Agh, shit. You son of a bitch. You scared the crap out of me. I spilled my precious drink because of you.”

Whatever had happened, Yoonchan shouted with a flushed face, then grabbed one of the liquor bottles placed haphazardly on the table and chugged it down. Dohae’s face contorted at the sight of Yoonchan, who was catching his breath roughly and letting out primitive, guttural screams.

“Did something happen?”

“Hey, Kim Yoonchan, why are you so late? I thought you’d kicked the bucket somewhere.”

“The fucking omega was the one who lured me in, releasing his pheromones first, and then he fucking…”

Dohae’s face crumpled as he listened to Yoonchan’s words. Although it was a world where omegas were ranked lower than alphas, this hierarchy only applied in the case of dominant alphas. Other than that, it was a society where conditions like family background or education determined an individual’s position.

“Hey. Kim Yoonchan, watch your mouth. Dohae here is an omega too…”

Woojin, noticing Dohae sitting with a cold expression, finally caught on and tried to stop Yoonchan. At the mention of an omega, Yoonchan, with a look of realization, turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw Dohae’s icy expression.

“You…! How did you…”

“Do you know me?”

Dohae, who had been feeling offended by the subtle but continuous disregard for omegas, asked with a pout and a frown. It was clear that Yoonchan’s face was identical to the omega he had just met, like a twin, but his aura and the clothes he was wearing were so different they couldn’t even be compared.

Woojin whispered into the ear of the dumbfounded Yoonchan, “He’s the second son of the Sejin Group.” Finally snapping out of it, Yoonchan broke into a cold sweat and apologized with a flustered face.

“Ah… um, I’m sorry. That wasn’t directed at you. I’m really sorry…”

Although they all seemed like friends, there was a certain hierarchy here as well. Dohae was an omega, but he was the second son of the Sejin Group. Although not as prosperous as before, he was not someone who could be treated carelessly. Yoonchan repeatedly apologized with a thoroughly dejected face.

“It’s fine. Just be careful from now on. By the way, what omega?”

Dohae nodded his head coyly, as if to say he would let it slide this once, and asked. Yoonchan’s face hardened again as he recounted what had happened earlier.

“Ah, on my way here, I smelled something good and followed it, and there was an omega standing spaced out at the main gate of Hangang University. I’ve never smelled a pheromone scent like that before. It was sweet, like apples…”

Although their faces were similar, Yoonchan, recalling the shabby clothes the omega had been wearing just a moment ago, thought it must be a coincidence and recounted in detail what he had experienced. Dohae, who was listening quietly to his story, could faintly smell a familiar scent from Yoonchan’s body. It was definitely Seo Yijae’s pheromone scent. That apple scent he despised so much.

“The main gate of Hangang University?”

“Yeah. He’s probably passed out in the side alley by now? The fucking little bastard is so feisty.”

“Hehe. Hey, Kim Yoonchan. Did you hit him again? You should have gone easy on him, he’s an omega.”

Another person who was drinking saw Yoonchan and asked with a chuckle. Yoonchan rolled up his sleeve and showed his forearm.

“Can you still say that after seeing this? Besides, my motto is to break things I can’t have in the first place.”

Even a recessive alpha had a different bone structure from a typical beta or omega. Seokmin burst out laughing at the bite mark engraved on that firm skin.

“Ah, haha, what a character. Hey, at least wipe off the blood.”

Seokmin said, tossing a wet towel to Yoonchan. He took it, wiped the dried blood below the bite mark on his forearm, and carelessly threw the dirtied towel.

“Hey, the omega you mentioned. Do you remember what clothes he was wearing?”

“I only remember a really shitty padded jacket… Ah, I think he had some kind of gauze on the nape of his neck too… But why do you ask?”

‘Could this fucking idiot have…’

A wave of anxiety struck his mind, and Dohae hastily got up from his seat.

“Something urgent came up, so I have to go first.”

“Already? No, but still…”

Seokmin and the others tried to stop Dohae, who was suddenly getting up, but he left the room without looking back.

Dohae’s steps were urgent as he left the bar and headed towards the university. He had warned him not to wander around outside carelessly, but it seemed that Seo Yijae, that bastard, had crawled out like a rat in that short time.