So when he finished his afternoon shift and returned, he walked faster than usual.
If he hadn’t spotted the shadow lingering at the entrance of the alley, he would have headed straight home without looking back today as well.
“…”
Today had been an especially difficult day. He wanted to go home early, shower, and fall asleep—even avoid calls from his hospitalized father.
Why did he have to appear on such a day?
As he was considering taking a detour despite the extra time it would take, the figure pacing back and forth turned around. The already distorted face, full of discontent, wrinkled even more upon seeing Yeonwoo.
“Hey, you bastard!! Where have you been hanging around until Sunday evening?!”
The unpleasant voice echoed through the normally quiet residential area at night. Surprised by the sudden shout, dogs could be heard barking in the distance. Woof woof, woof. Hearing the dogs barking from various places, Yeonwoo quietly took out his phone from his pocket.
After confirming that there were no messages or calls, he looked up to find a man of similar height to him. The man breathed heavily and pushed Yeonwoo’s chest forcefully.
“You broke beggar, you must be living well? Wake up! Do you really think the money you’re spending is yours?! It all belongs to our father! Damn, were you born outside and that’s why you have no sense? Hey, hey, your Omega father is barely conscious and struggling, yet you’re out here fooling around until this hour? Huh? Huh?!”
With each “hey” and “huh,” the man’s finger painfully jabbed at Yeonwoo’s head.
“When your father is in that state, you should at least get your act together! Are you both trying to drain our family’s assets?! You beggars?!!”
His voice grew louder as he seemed to get angrier with each word. Then came the sound of windows opening and shouts of “Be quiet!” Seongho, who had been cursing at Yeonwoo from the moment he saw him, flinched and turned around.
“Damn it, if you’re going to fight, go somewhere else! It’s noisy!!”
Seongho, who had been waiting for Yeonwoo for hours and was fuming, finally regained his senses. But with his inherently self-centered personality, he blamed Yeonwoo even for having to hear such reprimands in a place like this. Chewing on his lower lip, he muttered ominously.
“Hey, you illegitimate brat. Should I have to hear such things? You’re making me so embarrassed-.”
By the end, he couldn’t contain his anger and even stamped his feet.
Seongho was a Beta and turned thirty this year. The man, who resembled his mother more than his father, had been like this from their first meeting too. Though conscious of others’ gazes, he couldn’t control his anger and always created a disturbance.
Having been scolded by a stranger, Seongho glared at Yeonwoo as if he wanted to kill him. As if looking at an enemy. In a way, Yeonwoo thought Seongho might have his reasons. He’d probably dislike it too if a grown half-brother suddenly appeared claiming to be family. Still, he wouldn’t deliberately seek him out to cause trouble or try to extract something.
Just then, Seongho stepped forward and stood in front of Yeonwoo. The closer distance intensified the smell of alcohol. His eyes were unsteady too, indicating he was heavily intoxicated. Recognizing this, Yeonwoo felt he could predict what Seongho would say next.
And Seongho said exactly what Yeonwoo had anticipated.
“Hey, give me the deposit money for the house you’re living in.”
“…”
“Damn it! If you heard what I said, you should answer…!”
“Father manages that. More precisely, the person who’s his secretary. The deposit for where I’m living isn’t my money.”
There was only one reason Seongho would visit at this late hour.
Seongho had appeared suddenly like this even when Yeonwoo had just moved to Seoul last October and was looking for part-time work, not even having time to feel lonely in the unfamiliar city. Back then, he hadn’t been drinking, so he wasn’t noisy. But he cursed with every sentence, condemned him as an illegitimate child, and treated him like a swindler who had come to extract money from his family.
Though his expressions were harsh, there wasn’t much wrong with what he said when examined closely, so Yeonwoo had just listened quietly. He thought Seongho would leave on his own after venting his anger sufficiently. However, after kicking the ground and spitting for almost an hour, he had casually asked:
Hey, how much is the deposit for the house you’re living in?
Now he understood why such a question was asked, but not back then. So he had said something like, “Father arranged it, so I don’t know well. Should I call the secretary and ask?” Immediately, Seongho’s face had contorted, and he had hit Yeonwoo a couple of times. The sudden punches had made him see stars. And the more agitated Seongho had kicked the fallen Yeonwoo before storming off.
Back then, Yeonwoo thought he was upset because he had referred to Lee Jonghoon as “father.” How naive he was.
“Are you kidding me? If you’re living there, it’s your money! Why isn’t it? You’re lying to me now because you don’t want to give it to me, right?!”
In the subsequent few visits, after causing a disturbance, Seongho always brought up money at the end. The deposit for the house Yeonwoo was living in. A small, old two-room villa, hand-sized, with its only advantage being that it was on the third floor, not in the basement.
Yeonwoo looked at Seongho, who seemed ready to drag him to a real estate office right then.
When they first met, Yeonwoo had felt very sorry for him. He thought Seongho must have suffered a lot because of him. But now, he didn’t feel that way anymore, just a bit…
“I heard you’re not well. Shouldn’t you avoid going around like this?”
“…”
“Does father know you’re out like this?”
At that moment, the infuriated Seongho grabbed Yeonwoo by the collar.
Yeonwoo and Seongho were similar in height, but their builds were completely different. While Yeonwoo had a small face, long arms and legs, a slim figure, and good proportions, Seongho had a big head and a long upper body. Additionally, he was more solidly built and, being a Beta, was naturally stronger than Yeonwoo.
It wasn’t that Yeonwoo couldn’t push him away, but he remained still. In situations like this, it was best to just stay still and take a few hits. That was the quickest and easiest way to get rid of Seongho.
With his collar grabbed by Seongho, Yeonwoo was pushed against the old building wall. Despite his head hitting with a dull thud and feeling dizzy, he stared at Seongho without changing his expression.
Whatever made him so upset and heated, Seongho’s lips kept twitching. His breath was also fierce, making the smell of alcohol even stronger, which was unpleasant. Just as Yeonwoo thought he should hold his breath, more force was applied to his grabbed collar.
“I heard you ruined a blind date with Ho Munbeom. With that background, why are you so rigid? Do you think being a dominant Omega is some great medal? From now on, you’ll be sold to fat, greasy, rich Alpha men? Serves you right!!”
“…”
“What business do you have going on a blind date with Ho Munbeom? It’s not even funny. You’re destined to be sold to an old man who can’t even get it up properly this year. When that happens, extract some money from that old man and send it to me. What’s good about being siblings? Huh? Huh?!”
His voice became increasingly slurred as he got more excited and the alcohol seemed to rise. Or maybe he couldn’t express himself clearly because of his own anger. Either way, it was an unpleasant situation for Yeonwoo. He wished Seongho would just hit him and be done with it. How long did he have to endure this disgusting smell? Yeonwoo hardened his expression.
That seemed to irritate Seongho again. Suddenly putting more strength into the hand gripping the collar, Seongho lifted Yeonwoo’s body upward. Of course, he didn’t actually lift Yeonwoo. The chin pressed by his rough hand was just pushed up a little.
“What’s with that face? What is it? Are you, of all people, looking down on me?”
He was just tired. The weekend had been busy with work, and he had heard the mart employees gossiping behind his back. And on top of that, Seongho had appeared.
Lee Jonghoon had done everything possible to make Seongho manifest as an Omega, but it was an impossible task from the start. Seongho was a mess, making one wonder if he could even function properly as a man, let alone an Omega. If he had been in his right mind, he wouldn’t have come to Yeonwoo demanding the deposit money. If they hadn’t been related by blood at all, Yeonwoo would have dismissed him, thinking, “Why is he living like that?”
Despite being practically choked by Seongho, Yeonwoo’s face remained detached. And that face was noticeably beautiful even under the weak, flickering streetlight. It bore no resemblance to Seongho, nor to his father Lee Jonghoon. Perhaps that fueled Seongho’s inferiority complex even more. How, with just the status of an illegitimate child, did he get this face and become a dominant Omega?
Recalling what his so-called friends had said before he came here—”That pig thinks he’s something, he just came to mooch some drinks and now he’s in a bad mood”—Seongho trembled all over. Then he released Yeonwoo’s collar and swung his fist widely.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
