Adding Insult to Injury (1)
Jaehyuk checked Jeongbae’s location on the tracking app again. He’d been refreshing it whenever he had a chance.
‘He went to a bookstore, and now he’s home.’
Only then did he feel relieved. Jaehyuk furrowed his deep-set eyes slightly and slowly sank into thought. What if some alpha bastard had latched onto him at the bookstore? What if Kang Jeongbae had hooked himself a one-night stand tutor who looked smart? He’d been making absurd suspicions like this all day long, even to himself.
‘I can’t be apart from him for even a moment.’
He himself got hit on like breathing wherever he went, yet when it came to Jeongbae, he was completely blinded by infatuation.
“Hey, what’s so serious?”
It was Kang Isol. Jaehyuk crumpled his brow and turned off his phone screen.
“Mind your own business. Unless you want to die.”
The menacing voice of the large alpha who was 190cm tall was threatening enough, but Kang Isol wasn’t intimidated.
“Why do you control Jeongbae hyung so much? Don’t you know that makes him run away more?”
“Shut your bullshit. Did you really hook up with Kang Jeongbae?”
“I’m saying this because you’re constantly grilling someone who anyone can see is dying of love for you.”
“……”
As Jaehyuk and Isol talked, the surrounding gazes focused on them. Their visuals were the best match, but in reality both their interests were focused solely on the broke college student omega Kang Jeongbae with the broken arm.
“He’s anxious.”
“Kang Jeongbae… is anxious?”
“You’re deliberately testing whether he likes you or not, gauging him, right? You think I don’t know?”
“……”
“Jeongbae hyung is a good person, so watch your behavior.”
Isol noticed Jaehyuk’s eyes glinting with murderous intent and quickly ran off.
‘Still, I had to say what needed to be said.’
Kang Jeongbae. A twenty-eight-year-old omega, former welder. After teaching him math a few times, Isol was shocked. Honestly, it would be a lie to say he hadn’t looked down on him. He’d even thought the mock exam scores mentioned last time were inflated, but… Kang Jeongbae had really studied viciously hard. Isol knew well how difficult it was to get this far while holding onto a livelihood. He himself had barely made it here only after going all-in on entrance exams to the point of death.
‘The more I look at him, the more I think Jeongbae hyung is too good for him.’
It was Isol’s cold assessment. At first, he’d thought that perfect Yoon Jaehyuk was crazy to be dating Kang Jeongbae. But the more he got to know him, the more he saw Jeongbae differently. Diligent, kind, mature, and he would die before being a burden. He accepted even Isol’s own difficult temperament more kindly than anyone. That modest yet straightforward humanity wasn’t common.
‘But… he keeps talking like he’s going to break up with Yoon Jaehyuk.’
He’d tested Jaehyuk just in case. And seeing him get scratched up like that, his guess seemed right. That prideful alpha bastard was clearly raising and lowering Kang Jeongbae’s emotions, confirming how much he liked him. Testing as much as you like. It was puppy training that Isol himself had often done in his more immature days.
“You’re really having a late-blooming romance…”
Isol clicked his tongue. He’d stepped in feeling sorry for the two who kept missing each other, but seeing what Yoon Jaehyuk was doing, it seemed they had a long way to go.
“Ah, if I were an alpha, I’d take him home to live with me…”
Thinking of Jeongbae who was like a gentle country dog, Isol quietly smacked his lips. The more he thought about it, Jeongbae was too good for Yoon Jaehyuk.
***
Meanwhile, leaving behind Isol who’d run away, Jaehyuk was hurriedly walking toward his car. His slightly furrowed brow and worried eyes looked just like a handsome man in a pictorial. Gazes poured toward him regardless of gender. But his handsome head was filled with messy thoughts. Most of them were things that would make Jeongbae horrified and run a thousand miles away if he knew.
‘No. If I do this. Really…’
Jaehyuk desperately tried to shake off the bad thoughts that kept rising. How had they maintained their relationship until now… if he revealed his gloomy true feelings, it would clearly become irreversible.
‘Jeongbae is by my side right now. So… calm down.’
But soon cold sweat formed on his hands and he began to feel anxious. It was just when he’d entered the parking lot area. A man smoking in the smoking area at the corner caught his eye.
Tall. Neat appearance. Alpha male. Strangely, his nerves stood on end.
‘Where have I seen him?’
Yoon Jaehyuk’s steps stopped abruptly.
‘Ha…’
A hollow laugh escaped. Even though he’d only seen him briefly in passing, he remembered this easily. It was the man who’d stroked Kang Jeongbae’s hand at the cafe. As soon as he became conscious of it, he found himself approaching the man without realizing. The fact that he was from the same school made it even more impossible to just pass by.
“……”
“Can I help you?”
Seeing Jaehyuk approach with a clearly confrontational face, the man slowly blew cigarette smoke to one side. Jaehyuk didn’t hesitate further.
“You know Kang Jeongbae, right?”
Surprised eyes turned to look at Jaehyuk. The man dropped the cigarette on the ground and slowly ground it out with his foot. Then he finally looked Jaehyuk up and down. After a brief silence, the man opened his mouth.
“Yes. I know him.”
“……”
Even under Jaehyuk’s threatening gaze, the man didn’t care. Their eyes met sharply.
“Are you Jeongbae’s new boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend? What a disappointing thing to say. He’s my wife.”
The man smirked.
“Ah.”
His head tilted slightly.
“So that’s why Kang Jeongbae blocked me.”
“Why were you contacting a married man in the first place?”
Jaehyuk’s voice dropped even lower. The man didn’t back down and raised his head to meet his eyes directly.
“Married man?”
The smile had disappeared from his face.
“Is he really your wife?”
A brief silence.
“Not a tutor?”
Jaehyuk unconsciously released his tightly clenched fist.
“Treat Jeongbae well. Don’t regret it like I do.”
Jaehyuk reflexively blocked his way with a step. The man stopped and turned around.
“Why.”
It was a short, dry voice.
“What do you mean by that?”
“…You heard me. We’re finished.”
The man spoke with an indifferent face and tried to turn around. At that moment, an urgent hand grabbed his arm.
“No. Not that. What do you mean, regret?”
“……”
For a moment, the hostility disappeared from the man’s face and he looked as if he might crumble. The man clicked his tongue briefly and slowly continued.
“That… Kang Jeongbae. Honestly, I looked down on him. Just a physical relationship, something like that.”
“……”
“I acted generous by helping him study a bit, then slept with him. He was desperate for it, and I took advantage of that.”
Jaehyuk lost his words. The man’s expression was distorting as if he might cry.
“But you know.”
The man’s head dropped.
“His grades really went up. I explained things half-heartedly because it was bothersome, but he worked on it to death.”
Yoon Jaehyuk immediately thought of Jeongbae. The man who did two or three jobs every day, and with his exhausted body quietly opened books late at night. A man who lived pitifully hard.
“As soon as he got the score he wanted.”
The man’s voice trembled.
“He cut off contact without a word.”
“……”
“I—”
The words never continued.
Even after the man staggered away, Jaehyuk stood there for a long time.
‘I’m… different.’
He was clearly different from that man. The moment he felt he liked Jeongbae, he confessed, and they started living together right away. He always approached actively. He’d never treated anyone in his life as well as he treated Jeongbae. Everything happened naturally like that. But… something kept bothering him.
Like a speck that got in his eye hurting more and more, the ominous sensation wouldn’t disappear.
‘What. What went wrong?’
Kang Jeongbae liked him and seemed happy. He thought that was enough, but…
‘He’s anxious.’
Kang Isol’s voice from earlier echoed in his head.
***
Pyeonghwa Apartments parking lot.
Even after parking the car, Jaehyuk couldn’t move for a while. He was desperate to have Kang Jeongbae in front of his eyes right now. But at the same time, his chest felt stuffy at the thought that he might hurt him again. After sitting like that for a while, Jaehyuk barely opened the car door and got out. His steps were unusually heavy.
When he barely arrived at the building entrance, Jaehyuk stopped as if his feet were stuck to the ground.
Jung Woohyun. The bespectacled doctor. Jeongbae’s other tutor was standing in the apartment flower bed. Their eyes met beyond the cool silver-rimmed glasses. He could feel the gaze turn coldly distant upon seeing him.
Neither said anything to each other. It was just time to confirm something.
Woohyun slowly walked toward Jaehyuk.
Tall height. Neatly dressed suit. Slow and heavy gait.
An alpha slowly passing by and disappearing. His gaze was fixed on Jaehyuk. The stare felt piercing, glaring as if he’d been robbed of something.
Only after Woohyun completely disappeared did Jaehyuk move his feet. The expression had vanished from his face. Even at the moment he pressed the elevator button, he couldn’t define his own feelings.
‘What is this dirty feeling?’
It felt like something pitch black was swallowing him up from his toes. This uncomfortable feeling. He couldn’t stand it. He wanted to get home quickly. He wanted to face Kang Jeongbae, those good and innocent eyes, be comforted by his kind voice, and endlessly confirm the affection directed at him. Jaehyuk became anxious to the point where his earlier hesitation seemed meaningless. As soon as the elevator stopped, he hurriedly got off and ran through the corridor-style apartment without hesitation. Even though it was a short distance, his heart was urgent.
[Unit 801]
His and Jeongbae’s nest. Sanctuary. He habitually pressed the code and threw open the door.
“Jeongbae, today I…”
Jaehyuk, who’d opened the door and entered, froze on the spot. Jeongbae and Dogyeom were tightly embracing each other. Not even aware that he’d entered. It felt like all the blood was draining from his fingertips through his whole body. His mood sank coldly below the floor. He knew well that those two had nothing going on. But something like a monster was swallowing him up from below.
“Jaehyuk, you’re here?”
Kang Jeongbae looking back at him while tightly holding Lee Dogyeom. Jaehyuk silently turned his back.
Bang!
The sound of the front door slamming echoed behind him. But he didn’t feel any sign of someone following. Jaehyuk’s eyes turned completely cold.
