Goblin House 1-5

However, in any relationship, equality never lasts forever.

Baek Kyung-wook’s father, Baek Gu-bon, had entered the IT business early and rose smoothly to success. Kang-woo’s father, Kim Myung-hwan, had also entered the broadcasting equipment business around the same time, but the paths of the two men diverged drastically.

Kang-woo’s father, who lacked an innate talent for business, encountered several crises along the way. Out of loyalty to his friend, Baek Gu-bon invested a large sum of money into Kang-woo’s father’s company once he had begun making substantial profits, and whenever the business faltered, he would offer help—both large and small—from the sidelines.

That relationship continued up to the present. Kang-woo’s father’s company gradually stabilized and eventually established itself as a respectable mid-sized enterprise. In the meantime, Baek Gu-bon had long since shed the title of businessman and entered politics, eventually securing a seat as a member of the National Assembly.

Kang-woo’s father cheered for his friend, who had once stood at a similar level to him, as he reached higher and farther. Yet at the same time, he coveted and envied the position he himself did not have.

With those imperfect feelings simmering beneath the surface, a strange gap began to form between the two men. The rift in their emotions deepened over time, and the direction of their relationship slowly shifted. The two men who had once stood side by side on parallel lines now displayed a vertical gap between them, revealing a clear hierarchy of superior and subordinate.

By now, the concept of friendship between them had long faded. Kang-woo’s father firmly believed that Assemblyman Baek was a valuable connection he had carefully cultivated for decades.

In other words, he regarded him as an important financial lifeline.

Yes. Just as it had been between the two fathers, the relationship between Kang-woo and Kyung-wook had not begun as something so one-sided from the start. There had definitely been a time when the two of them respected each other.

Of course, saying that now only made it sound like a distant story from long ago.

Kang-woo and Kyung-wook first laid the foundation of their friendship through their parents’ frequent meetings. Whenever Kang-woo’s father had an appointment with Assemblyman Baek, he would bring young Kang-woo along. And Assemblyman Baek did the same, always keeping his son Baek Kyung-wook by his side. Naturally, the two boys ended up meeting often.

Kyung-wook had possessed an unusual personality since childhood. While he behaved impeccably toward adults, he didn’t know how to get along with children his own age, often getting into fights or making other kids cry.

At the time, Kyung-wook was undergoing regular psychological counseling twice a week, but the situation did not improve.

Yet for some reason, he showed a strange level of tolerance toward Kang-woo. He would readily hand over his favorite dolls and even give up the snacks he liked.

Assemblyman Baek Gu-bon had long been worried about his son’s abnormal behavior, so he was delighted with Kang-woo—the only person to whom Kyung-wook reacted like a normal child.

He practically attached Kang-woo to Kyung-wook as his dedicated friend, and because of that, the two boys ended up becoming closer than anyone else—both by circumstance and by choice.

Naturally, Kang-woo’s father adored Kyung-wook, who strengthened his relationship with Assemblyman Baek. In Kang-woo’s memory, it almost seemed like his father cherished Kyung-wook even more than his own son.

Kang-woo envied that, yet at the same time accepted it as natural. Even through a child’s eyes, Kyung-wook had been a dazzling child who naturally received affection from adults.

Despite his young age, Kang-woo quickly realized that maintaining a good relationship with Kyung-wook made his father happy.

“Kyung-wook and Kang-woo really get along well.”

Whenever his father saw him standing beside Baek Kyung-wook, a warm smile would appear in his eyes. So Kang-woo willingly remained Kyung-wook’s closest friend. Of course, part of the reason was simply that he genuinely liked Kyung-wook. Even though they were the same age, Kyung-wook took care of him like an older brother.

“Sir, Kang-woo is my favorite person in the whole world.”

Acting as though Kang-woo was the only friend he had in the world and showering him with endless affection, Kyung-wook was like an irresistibly sweet marshmallow to Kang-woo—something impossible to refuse. That was why Kang-woo followed him around like he was a real older brother.

Perhaps he had even felt a little proud about it.

“Kang-woo, you’re the only child my son Kyung-wook has formed a bond with. So the two of you should get along well.”

Whenever Assemblyman Baek said something that sounded almost like praise, Kang-woo sometimes felt the illusion that he was someone very special.

From the moment they entered elementary school, the two of them were always in the same class. Not once during their six years—right up until the day they graduated—were they placed in different classes.

When he was young, Kang-woo believed it was purely coincidence. But once he was old enough to think more clearly, he realized that Assemblyman Baek Gu-bon’s influence had played a role in the class placements.

Still, he didn’t mind. Kyung-wook wasn’t a bad person to have by his side, and school life with him was always enjoyable. Kyung-wook and Kang-woo stuck together like twins. People even called them a matched set—like thread and needle.

Their extraordinary and special friendship continued all the way through middle school.

Fortunately, as Kyung-wook grew older, the more peculiar aspects of his personality gradually faded. Unlike the shy Kang-woo, Kyung-wook blended easily even among people he had just met.

But Kang-woo was always his number one priority. No matter how many friends Kyung-wook gained, that never changed.

Then, as time passed, the period of secondary sexual development naturally arrived for both of them.

During that stage, the biggest issue among students was “trait manifestation.” Those who possessed a special trait rather than being Beta would experience their manifestation alongside secondary sexual development.

Kyung-wook’s trait manifested when he turned sixteen. The guy who had always boasted perfect health—so healthy he’d never even caught a cold—ended up missing an entire week of school.

At the time, there were several students absent due to manifestation pains just like him. And every one of them returned to school as Alphas.

“Kang-woo, did you do well while I was gone?”

Kyung-wook was the same. He appeared before Kang-woo looking slightly more mature—and somehow unfamiliar.

***

Kyung-wook, who had manifested as an Alpha, instantly became the idol of the students. People had already gathered around him before because of his handsome looks and cheerful personality, but after his trait manifested, the gazes and attitudes directed toward him became subtly more cautious.

Watching that, Kang-woo felt a strange emotion stir within him.

“Kang-woo, let’s go eat lunch.”

Kyung-wook was still kind and gentle toward him, yet Kang-woo felt a subtle sense of distance from him—as though he had grown farther away. Would he manifest as an Alpha like Kyung-wook? Or would he remain a Beta? The question that had appeared in his mind was soon answered.

Kang-woo’s trait manifested.

And that was where the nightmare began.

Kang-woo didn’t manifest as an Alpha. He manifested as an Omega—and among Omegas, the worst kind: a recessive Omega.

He suffered through brutal manifestation pains and ended up bedridden for ten entire days.

His father was devastated. He didn’t openly show it in front of Kang-woo, but it was obvious that he felt disappointment and despair.

The reason was simple. From the past until now, Omegas had never been treated well.

No matter how wealthy they were, Omegas were a class that people subtly despised and looked down upon. Even if they were born into rich families, their treatment did not change. Simply being an Omega was enough for families to reject them—and there were many cases where financial support was cut off entirely.

From that moment on, Kang-woo’s father began to see him as a thorn in his eye. He regarded his own son as a defect in his life.

And in a way, it made sense—because Kang-woo was a mutation.

Kang-woo had been born between a dominant Alpha father and a Beta mother. Normally, when a Beta had a child with an Alpha, the child would either be lucky enough to be born an Alpha or—more commonly—be born a Beta.

An Omega child between an Alpha and a Beta should have been impossible from the start. Naturally, until Kang-woo reached secondary sexual development, his father had assumed he would be either Alpha or Beta.

But that expectation was completely shattered.

The hospital told them their case was extremely rare. But being rare was hardly good news for his father.

His father immediately conducted a paternity test without Kang-woo’s knowledge. Kang-woo discovered this purely by chance—he found the documents in his father’s study.

It seemed his father had suspected his mother. He must have thought that a normal child born between the two of them could not possibly have manifested such a trait.

But Kang-woo truly was his son. Their DNA matched by 99.999%.

Having no choice but to accept that the Omega Kang-woo was indeed his child, his father grabbed him and repeatedly warned him:

Never reveal your trait to anyone. Never let anyone find out that you’re an Omega.

If he kept the secret, the family—and Kang-woo himself—could continue living happily just as they were now.

When Kang-woo returned to school after his manifestation pains subsided, a crowd of classmates immediately surrounded him.

“Kang-woo, what happened? Did you manifest as an Alpha?”

“Did you become an Alpha like Kyung-wook?”

Surrounded by their curious questions, Kang-woo made an excuse.

“No, it’s not like that. I just had a really bad flu.”

“Oh.”

“What? Why would a flu be that bad? You missed more than a week of school.”

“Yeah. Maybe my immune system got really weak.”

“Damn, I didn’t expect that from you. You’re totally fragile.”

“Man, I thought you had manifestation pains like Kyung-wook.”

Kang-woo gave them an awkward smile as they spoke with clear disappointment.

Then his gaze met Kyung-wook’s.

Kyung-wook’s dark brown eyes stared at him with a strange light in them.

“Was it really just the flu?”

Kyung-wook asked in a tone filled with concern and doubt. The innocent question stabbed repeatedly into Kang-woo’s chest.

Kang-woo forced the corners of his lips upward.

“Of course. You think I’d lie to you?”

That was the beginning of an exhausting lie.

After that, Kang-woo desperately hid his trait just as his father had instructed. Even Kyung-wook—his closest friend—was no exception. He couldn’t bring himself to tell him that he was an Omega.

He had to protect his family. As his father’s only blood relative, he didn’t want to become a weakness for him.

Only three people knew that Kang-woo was an Omega: his father, the housekeeper, and Kang-woo’s personal doctor.

For a while, the secret seemed to remain safely hidden. Until Kyung-wook discovered the suppressants.

During his heat cycle, Kang-woo had to take suppressants three times a day with meals. Taking the medicine was quite troublesome. He had to set alarms so he wouldn’t forget, and he also had to be careful not to let anyone else see it.

That day, he had no choice but to skip the cafeteria by pretending he had an upset stomach. He bought a sandwich from the school store and returned to the classroom.

When he tried to take his medicine while no one else was around, the suppressants he had placed in his bag were nowhere to be found.

“Where did it go…?”

Muttering anxiously, Kang-woo turned his bag upside down onto the desk. But there was no sign of the suppressants anywhere.

“Looking for this?”

At that moment, a familiar voice spoke. Kang-woo turned toward the back door.

Kyung-wook was standing there, holding the bottle of suppressants in his hand.

Kang-woo’s eyes widened instantly.

“…Kyung-wook.”

A startled voice escaped him.

Kyung-wook straightened up from where he had been leaning against the back door and slowly walked toward him.

“This is it, right? Omega suppressants.”

He rolled the bottle around in his hand.