2) Cutting the Knot
The first time had been difficult. After that, it became easy. Kyung-wook started raising his hand against Kang-woo whenever the mood struck him.
As the frequency increased, the intensity of the violence rose in proportion.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Once, Kang-woo had asked Kyung-wook that question. Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you that you torment me like this?
When he heard the question, Kyung-wook burst out laughing as if he had just heard something hilarious. “Haha!” He laughed loudly. After roaring with laughter for quite some time, he suddenly stopped and looked at Kang-woo.
“Why am I doing this? Why are you asking such a shameless question? Haven’t you ever thought that I’ve actually been going easy on you, Kang-woo?”
“……”
“The fact that I haven’t told anyone you’re an Omega—doesn’t that already mean I’m fulfilling my duty as a friend? Or not?”
Strength flooded into Kang-woo’s hands. His clenched fists trembled.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he would never have told the truth. When Kyung-wook asked if he was an Omega, he should have denied it to the bitter end, insisted that he wasn’t. But it was far too late for regrets.
The situation had already deteriorated as far as it could.
Kyung-wook had seized Kang-woo’s weakness, and he used it to keep him trapped time and time again. If the fact that he was a recessive Omega were revealed, school life would become even more grueling.
Kang-woo had seen it several times before—people whose Omega traits were exposed and who were forcibly outed.
Malicious rumors spread as quickly as flames leaping through a dry forest.
People seemed to treat hidden Omegas in the world like diseased rats. Once they found someone to target, they would dig up every scrap of personal information and expose their identity online.
And those whose names became known that way were all pointed at by others, despised, and turned into objects of ridicule.
Omega hatred wasn’t simply the reckless behavior of immature children.
It didn’t end as a nightmare confined to school days. That was only the beginning. Adults also contributed just as much to fostering that hatred.
Once someone was outed, finding a job became difficult. Even if they managed to get hired somewhere with great effort, being passed over for promotions was commonplace.
The end of an Omega’s life was usually tragic.
Being outed meant becoming a perfect social weakling.
Even now, Kang-woo’s life was already exhausting. If the fact that he was an Omega were exposed to the entire world, reality would plunge even further to the bottom.
Once branded, that stigma would undoubtedly continue to bind Kang-woo even after he became an adult.
And his father would suffer damage as well. It wouldn’t end with Kang-woo alone. Just for being the parent of an Omega child, his father would also be placed on the chopping block.
That was why he was afraid.
Afraid that the father who already didn’t seem very fond of him would come to hate him even more. Afraid that he might be completely cast aside.
Rather than being buried by society, it was better to be the object of Kyung-wook’s hatred.
Even if he had to endure Kyung-wook’s relentless bullying, it was still preferable to the world’s condemnation. Kyung-wook simply needed someone he could keep right in front of him and manipulate however he pleased.
If he could just endure a few humiliating moments, school life was more bearable than one might expect.
As long as he didn’t go against Kyung-wook’s mood, the boy sometimes even showed a surprisingly generous side.
That was how Kang-woo had to think.
He had to endure it to the end.
After all, getting his weakness discovered by Kyung-wook was no one’s fault but his own.
Kang-woo and Kyung-wook returned to the classroom about ten minutes after the bell had rung.
“Kang-woo suddenly wasn’t feeling well, so we went to the infirmary to get some medicine. That’s why we’re late. Sorry, teacher.”
Kyung-wook offered the excuse with a perfectly calm face.
Kang-woo kept his head lowered and bowed along with him.
“If that was the case, you idiots should’ve told me before you left.”
“We’re sorry. Next time we’ll let you know first.”
“Just get back to your seats.”
The teacher waved the hand holding the electronic pen dismissively and resumed the lesson that had briefly been interrupted.
Kang-woo walked past the children glancing sideways at him and sat down at his desk.
One side of his cheek was swollen red.
He took out his textbook and notebook, propped his chin on his hand to hide his face, and tried to ignore the burning sensation that still lingered. He focused on the teacher’s voice instead.
After the class ended, break time arrived.
He could clearly feel the sidelong looks directed at him, yet no one actually asked why his face looked like that. They couldn’t bring themselves to ask outright, but they were probably making countless guesses in their heads.
The students had already adapted to a world where the strong preyed upon the weak. Rather than foolishly stepping in and earning the hatred of the powerful, they wisely chose to remain bystanders to the weak.
While casually shifting his gaze, Kang-woo’s eyes met those of the guy he had partnered with during gym class.
The boy flinched, his expression stiffening before he quickly looked away.
Kang-woo’s gaze didn’t linger on him long either.
He leaned forward onto his desk. Fatigue washed over him, and he closed his eyes.
The moment of peace was very brief.
After fourth period passed, lunchtime arrived before long.
Kang-woo headed to the cafeteria with Kyung-wook’s group. Walking leisurely to the very front of the line, they cut ahead as if they had already reserved seats, receiving their trays with practiced ease.
“Ah, what the hell is with today’s lunch? The menu’s fucking awful. This isn’t even fit for a damn dog.”
At the table where Kang-woo sat, conversations full of profanity flew back and forth.
Kyung-wook sat across from Kang-woo, occasionally throwing in a comment while continuing his meal amid the noisy chatter. Kang-woo barely ate at all. He scraped his tray with his spoon before eventually returning to the classroom.
The moment he sat down, he automatically opened a workbook.
Kyung-wook glanced at him and clicked his tongue.
“What a damn obsessive bastard.”
Kang-woo pretended not to hear and gripped his mechanical pencil.
Kyung-wook, too, stopped paying attention and pulled out his phone.
They each became absorbed in their own things for a while when Kyung-wook, seated beside him, casually spoke as if mentioning something in passing.
“Clear your schedule this Saturday.”
Kang-woo stopped writing the answer beneath the problem and looked at him with a questioning gaze.
Still staring at his phone screen, Kyung-wook reminded him of something he had apparently forgotten.
“This time we won’t get kicked out while listening to that bullshit about being minors.”
Kyung-wook curled the corner of his mouth and glanced at Kang-woo.
Judging by the context, he was clearly talking about the tattoo they had tried—and failed—to get last time.
Kang-woo still couldn’t understand Kyung-wook’s psychology. What had suddenly sparked this random interest in tattoos? But in truth, there was no need to try to understand in the first place. Everything Kyung-wook demanded from Kang-woo was simply another act meant to satisfy his own amusement.
So all Kang-woo had to do was silently nod.
“I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”
Even as he said that, having to ask Kyung-wook for permission felt miserable and pathetic.
Unaware of the self-esteem that was crumbling inside Kang-woo, Kyung-wook merely nodded absently, his eyes fixed on the phone screen with complete disinterest.
Kang-woo dragged his heavy body out of the classroom. He walked down the long hallway and arrived at the restroom in the center of the building.
Fortunately, no one was inside.
After finishing his business, he stepped up to the sink and turned on the faucet. He stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror.
A pale face stared back at him.
The red handprint had faded with time. Yet it still felt like his cheek was throbbing.
He kept his hands under the cold stream of water for a while before pressing them against his cheek. The lowered temperature cooled the lingering heat.
It’s okay. I just have to endure a little longer.
Kang-woo made the promise to himself again and again.
The college entrance exam wasn’t far away. Once he finished the exam and got accepted into a university, everything would be okay.
This horrible moment. This suffocating feeling. He just had to endure a little longer. If he could just graduate—if high school life ended—he could escape this life as well. He believed that simply stepping away from the group dynamic would let him breathe a little easier.
Kang-woo believed that.
***
That evening, Kang-woo had dinner with his father, who had come home early for once.
Tonight’s menu was braised beef short ribs carefully prepared by the housekeeper.
Just because father and son were sitting together at the same table didn’t mean there was warm conversation between them. An awkward silence habitually settled between the two.
The housekeeper’s cooking was excellent, so the taste should have been superb. Yet strangely, Kang-woo couldn’t taste anything at all. There was only one thought in his mind.
I want to leave this place as soon as possible.
He wanted to finish eating quickly and end this uncomfortable meal with his father. Every bite of food that went down into his stomach felt like it was sitting heavily inside him.
Still, the meal wouldn’t end until he finished his bowl of rice. He continued mechanically moving his spoon in silence for several minutes when his father suddenly brought up something completely unexpected.
“Once the entrance exam is over, move out immediately.”
Kang-woo’s hand froze in midair. To confirm that he had heard correctly, he spoke.
“…Move out?”
“Yes. With your grades, Yonseo University shouldn’t be a problem. Anywhere around there will be fine.”
His father nodded while putting a spoonful of white rice into his mouth.
He hadn’t misheard. His father was truly talking about his son living on his own.
Kang-woo’s expression brightened noticeably.
Although he had never seriously brought it up with his father before, Kang-woo had originally dreamed of independence.
It was a wish he had carried in his heart for a long time. He wanted a space where he could leave the family home and be completely alone.
Once he got accepted into a university, he had planned to express his intentions seriously. Even if his father didn’t permit it, he had intended to persuade him somehow and leave this place.
His determination was that firm. Yet as if he had seen straight through his thoughts, his father had brought it up first. For the first time, Kang-woo felt as though their hearts had aligned. But the next words were enough to push him straight into the depths of despair.
“Kyung-wook will be doing the same.”
Kang-woo doubted his ears. Why was Baek Kyung-wook’s name suddenly coming up here?
Seeing his bewildered expression, his father added an explanation.
“Not long ago I had dinner with Assemblyman Baek. He said Kyung-wook wants to live with you once he enters university. It’s good for close friends to live together. As it happens, Assemblyman Baek said he’d arrange a house for the two of you to stay in. When students enter university, they tend to get lax with all the drinking and partying. If you live together, you’ll stimulate each other instead. It’ll be a good opportunity for you too.”
As Kang-woo listened to his father’s continued explanation, the light in his eyes gradually faded like an extinguishing spark.
This development was something he had never expected.
Living in the same house as Baek Kyung-wook. It was absurd. Calling it a “good opportunity” only applied to his father. For Kang-woo, it would be a living hell.
“I don’t want to, Father.”
Kang-woo had never once defied his father before.
He didn’t want to fall out of favor with him. He was afraid of the disapproving look his father sometimes directed at him. He wanted to be a son his father could be proud of. He had never once received proper praise from him, but he still hoped his father would feel proud of him. So he had always obeyed his father’s words without question and never showed it even when things were difficult.
At the same time, Kang-woo had held onto a small hope.
If he graduated high school and grew distant from Kyung-wook, then this uncomfortable relationship would naturally come to an end.
He had endured everything while believing that. He thought that once physical distance separated them, Kyung-wook’s interest in him would gradually fade.
But it had all been a misunderstanding.
Baek Kyung-wook intended to keep him by his side until the very end. He had never intended to let him go from the start.
Which meant Kang-woo could never escape him.
This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t want to accept it so obediently.
