Career Student Kang Jeongbae (1)
“Ugh… I thought my back was going to break.”
Jeongbae patted his aching back for a long while. He thought he should buy some pain relief patches to put on. He’d seemed so indifferent that Jeongbae thought they’d do it once and be done.
‘Youth really does make a difference in stamina.’
The back view wearing a Korea University jacket. Encouraged by the heavy wafting fragrance, he’d worked up the courage to speak to him. The man who turned around had a face with bold, clean lines like a well-drawn ink painting. A rare handsome man. Ironed t-shirt, well-fitted jeans, short hair, clean sneakers. He was a head taller than himself with a good build too. With model-like looks, Jeongbae thought he’d get shot down….
“Thanks to him, I solved ten problems. The most troublesome ones at that….”
Jeongbae grinned. An equivalent exchange of a one-night stand for one-on-one private tutoring. This was the only entrance exam strategy of Omega Kang Jeongbae, a mature student studying for survival. Other subjects he could understand to some degree by looking at the answer explanations, but math was impossible. Free lectures, squeezing time to briefly attend a private academy—he’d tried it all, but he inevitably crumbled before 4-point problems. Even looking at the explanations didn’t satisfy him. In the midst of this, someone who claimed to be good at math had coincidentally approached Jeongbae while he was solving a workbook and made a proposal.
‘This body will rot away when I die anyway. I should use it well however I can.’
Jeongbae, an extreme efficiency enthusiast, thought there was no better deal than this. Moderately soothing loneliness while also solving the most difficult 4-point problems. But his body dying was another matter. He’d felt somewhat relieved since the guy looked ascetic.
“Ah, got a call.”
Seeing the designated driver app alarm, he jumped up. His whole body ached, but work was still work. At least today was driving work that used less of his body. K Station was close enough to walk to from here. Jeongbae’s limping steps gradually quickened.
“Thank you.”
“Tsk. What’s with a young student’s hair looking like that?”
“Haha, my younger sibling is a hairdresser. They keep experimenting on my hair, so I became pink. Isn’t it cute?”
At the customer’s criticism, Jeongbae grinned playfully, showing his gap-toothed smile. Most people let it slide with half pity, half amusement. It was a method he’d learned through long social experience. When he was younger, he’d hesitate or his face would stiffen, and he’d end up hearing insults or rebukes he didn’t need to hear.
‘The saying “you can’t spit on a smiling face” is really well made.’
Jeongbae grinned again as he gripped the steering wheel.
By the time he finished the designated driver job, it was close to midnight. When he opened the front door, the living room lights were on brightly.
“Oh my, did the puppies come again? What did you break this time that you came to hyung’s place?”
As he stepped inside, familiar noise greeted Jeongbae.
“Jeongbae hyung!”
“Hyung, does your back hurt today too?”
As Jeongbae muttered while taking off his shoes, the two sprawled out in the living room simultaneously jumped up and ran out with smiles. They were his younger siblings from the orphanage.
Though it was an old rental apartment, Jeongbae’s home was always tidy. The shiny linoleum he’d laid himself, white-toned built-in closets and sink, neatly folded white blankets—he’d paid special attention to the outlets, switches, and lighting too. He wanted to be a role model for his younger siblings.
“Hyung. Feed us.”
“You came last week and cleaned out the fridge. You’re blocking my marriage prospects. Stop visiting so much.”
Though he said that, Jeongbae’s hands were busily rummaging through the refrigerator.
“Marriage my ass. Ugh, old bachelor smell.”
“Always nagging.”
“Where else would you find a fresh handsome guy like me?”
“Ugh.”
While they chattered, the small rental apartment living room filled with the smell of ‘home.’ Jeongbae watched the bustling scene with a pleased expression. He slowly took in each of the kids’ expressions.
After chattering for a while, the two kids ate their late-night snack and fell sound asleep before they knew it. The house became quiet in an instant. Jeongbae arranged and carefully covered the kids with blankets. Then he slowly wiped the moisture from the washed dishes with a dishcloth, cleaning up. Just then, his phone screen suddenly lit up.
[Yoon Jaehyuk: Are you busy tomorrow?]
‘Huh? That’s strange. He actually contacted me.’
No matter how he looked at it, this was a first-class university rich young master with no connection to himself. Just in case, he’d gotten the number, but he hadn’t expected to actually be contacted….
‘Was I really that good?’
Jeongbae, who felt a moment of pride, shook his head. That probably wasn’t it. The cheap lines he used every time he hooked someone. After various trials and research, he’d learned that ‘looking cheap’ increased the success rate of one-night stands.
Always the same words, the same smile. In truth, it was overselling. Jeongbae liked the body temperature he felt when embracing someone more than the excitement of the act itself. Though of course, the main purpose was math tutoring.
“Ha… what should I do? He’s too young.”
At most he’d be twenty-two or twenty-three. Not much age difference from his orphanage siblings. Jeongbae, who usually only dealt with older partners, realized his mistake. He’d been agonizing over one problem for too long, so when he saw the Korea University jacket, he’d spoken to him as if possessed.
“But his skills were good.”
Calculating this and that while tilting his head, Jeongbae picked up his phone and skillfully sent a text.
[6 PM. Let’s meet where we met today. :)]
As expected, there was no reply. Jeongbae plugged his phone into the charger and sat at his low desk. After opening the fairly worn workbook, he looked through it carefully. Though it was past midnight, there was no sign of fatigue on Jeongbae’s clear face.
***
[Pink Head: 6 PM. Let’s meet where we met today. :)]
“Smiling?”
Jaehyuk’s face reflected in the phone light was cold. Who knew a single smiling emoticon could piss someone off this much? Jaehyuk had been unable to sleep until this hour, getting angrier the more he chewed over what happened today. Once the alcohol wore off somewhat and he calmed down, his insides boiled.
‘He seduced someone to get tutoring? Me, of all people?’
Dominant Alpha, distinguished legal family background, the country’s top university, preparing for law school after military discharge, tall with a physique built through exercise, outstanding looks on top of that. Omegas and Betas who’d gone crazy trying to get involved with him once, regardless of gender, could run three laps around the parade ground and more! No matter how much he’d been starved after just being discharged, to follow some pink-haired nobody like that.
Jaehyuk still hadn’t fully shed his military ways. But even counting the cute first-year who’d contacted him just the other day asking to meet, the pretty effeminate class representative who’d followed him out as if it were natural they’d go together, and even being hit on while walking down the street—none of them were as ugly as the pink-haired guy.
It was frustrating enough that he’d rejected them all and met that ugly thing, but having done it four times was even more infuriating. And on top of that, that pink head’s purpose was ‘tutoring.’ Cracks formed in the pride of the supremely arrogant Alpha male Yoon Jaehyuk.
And why hadn’t he contacted first?
Whether they got his number or SNS ID, they always sent texts or DMs like crazy. Did you get home okay? Did you eat dinner? Want to watch a movie? Do you like games? Do you like soccer? When should we meet again? The barrage of questions was endless.
In the end, he’d waited and waited before sending a text in the middle of the night himself. Even then, the reply came only after several minutes. It was barely 5 minutes, but even that pissed Jaehyuk off.
“Tomorrow I’ll really teach you a proper lesson.”
The reason he deliberately made plans was to show him his place.
He intended to show how amazing he was and make him regret ever daring to touch him. Last time he’d been caught off guard by that absurd pace, but this time was different. He’d land a blow and absolutely never look back. Making various plans in his mind, Jaehyuk laughed emptily. Just thinking about it felt exhilarating and good.
The next day, he’d just finished his morning class.
“Has this guy gone crazy?”
At Jaehyuk’s comment, the classmate next to him turned around in surprise.
“Hey, I’m leaving first.”
Jaehyuk hurriedly grabbed his bag and left the lecture hall.
[Pink Head: Sorry, I don’t think I can make it today. Let’s meet next time :)]
“Who said you could back out?”
Jaehyuk’s hands moved busily. Though he was notorious for leaving messages on read, this time his anger far exceeded his laziness. He’d deliberately put effort into his hair and clothes to intimidate the guy as soon as they met today.
[What’s wrong?]
[Pink Head: Something came up and I need to go to the hospital. Sorry!]
‘Hospital? What kind of trick is this?’
Shouldn’t he come to meet him even with a broken leg? He was fine until yesterday and suddenly hospital? Jaehyuk sent another text.
[Which hospital? I’ll come there.]
It was half a test.
[Pink Head: Ah, you don’t need to come. My cycle seems a bit off. It happens sometimes. Let’s meet next time.]
Look at this. He said heat doesn’t come but suddenly he’s going on about cycles. Could he be a honey trap? Come to think of it, even if they used a condom, if he later goes on about baby daddy this and that….
‘Fuck… just my luck.’
Jaehyuk’s brow crumpled sharply. He thought the guy was no ordinary fox. He should have known when he spouted that bullshit about heat not coming. He suddenly felt uneasy, wondering if the guy was planning to block his bright future.
‘Fine, for now I’ll gently coax him… the hospital thing might be a lie too.’
[You seem sick, so I’ll drive you home. Which hospital?]
[Pink Head: Ah, really? Thanks. Korea University Hospital Suppressant Clinic. Waiting for my appointment.]
“You’re dead.”
It happened to be his own school’s university hospital right nearby. Jaehyuk immediately grabbed his car keys and ran.
“Oh… you really came. I’m not that sick though.”
The hospital waiting room bustling with patients. Finding pink-haired Kang Jeongbae was easy. His face was bright red and he couldn’t control his body. Discovering that he couldn’t fully open his eyes and his hands were trembling, Jaehyuk was at a loss for words.
“You’re pretty sick.”
When he quietly sat in the seat next to him, the ugly face barely smiled while showing his teeth. Jaehyuk felt strangely suffocated. The thought of humiliating him evaporated in an instant, and he clenched his fists in inexplicable anxiety.
“Ah, instead of heat not coming, I occasionally….”
“……”
Again with the heat not coming talk. Come to think of it, the scent was too faint to call it heat.
“You came here alone in this state? What, did you come to get suppressants?”
“Si…milar. If there are no symptoms… they won’t prescribe. I ran out of emergency medicine.”
At that moment, a nurse’s voice calling for Jeongbae was heard.
“I’ll be back.”
As Jeongbae staggered while hurrying to stand up, Jaehyuk quickly supported him.
“Thanks but. I can do it my…self….”
“Forget it. I’ll just say I’m your guardian.”
The misunderstanding seemed mostly cleared up, but Jaehyuk deliberately followed into the examination room. Half worried, half curious.
“This is patient Kang Jeongbae.”
When the nurse gave the introduction and left, the doctor raised his head. A man with height and build rivaling his own. Glasses and a white coat, neat appearance, and a faint fragrance tickling his nose.
‘An Alpha.’
Alpha doctors were common. But the instinctive hostility was inevitable. The Alpha before his eyes seemed like the type who’d attract quite a few.
“Why haven’t you contacted me?”
Without examining him, the doctor immediately asked Jeongbae. Jaehyuk, sitting beside them, pretended not to care. The way he touched Jeongbae’s forehead while making eye contact and lifted his clothes to place the stethoscope looked like they were perfectly in sync. Jaehyuk turned his gaze away as if indifferent, but strength entered his fingertips.
‘Why is a doctor acting so affectionate?’
