Chapter 30: You Didn’t Know He Was an Omega?
by GideonHe was the most successful actor in South Korea, a national treasure. A world star whom legendary directors from across the globe relentlessly courted for just one project.
I couldn’t let my presence on set cause him any harm. He was already at the peak of his fame; it would be a tragedy if I dragged him down with me.
I’m already in the gutter. I can handle it alone.
“He’s my favorite junior,” Jubin said.
“…Haha, I’m jealous. I never thought I’d hear you say you cherish someone.”
Jubin wanted to end this pointless conversation. “I’m leaving.”
“I hope you don’t misunderstand,” the other man added.
Please don’t let him say something absurd like his current boyfriend isn’t actually his boyfriend.
“What misunderstanding?”
“I didn’t call you here to ask why you threw this away, or why you blocked me… It’s not that…”
His voice trembled slightly at the end.
“I told you. You’re more my type. Even if you gave me ten trucks full of Do Zion, I’d still choose you.”
Jubin let out a barely audible sigh. Na Hyeon-mo, you’re too soft for your own good.
“I always felt respected by your kindness. When you hugged me, I felt loved. It always felt so good.”
He felt a pang of pity for Na Hyeon-mo, who had fallen for the fake kindness Jubin had carefully crafted.
“I’m sorry I like you more than you like me.”
No matter how old he got, Jubin still found it difficult to know how to respond to an unwanted confession.
I felt like I should reject him gently, in a way that would hurt him as little as possible, but I still hadn’t mastered the best way to do it.
Rejection, in any form, always leaves a scar.
Na Hyeon-mo opened his arms, his face a tear-streaked mess. “Just one last hug.”
Cha Jubin crushed his cigarette out, then shoved his empty hand into his pocket.
He had no gentle hands to offer in a hug.
“Thanks for everything, even if it was only for a short while. Take care.”
As Jubin opened the door to the smoking room, a humid breeze rushed in. Before he could close it, Na Hyeon-mo’s resentful voice followed him.
“…You really are…”
Yeah, I’m the villain until the very end.
“…a graceful bastard.”
Strangely, the insult didn’t even make him feel bad. It just felt uncomfortable—as if he was still someone who lingered in a corner of the other man’s heart.
I stepped out of the smoking room, closing the door firmly behind me.
The thought of Zion waiting for me sent a jolt of urgency through my chest, and my pace quickened. Soon, I was running.
But Zion—who I’d been so sure would still be there—was gone. And I didn’t even have my phone.
“Mr. Zion paid his tab and left a moment ago,” the bartender said, noticing my frantic search.
“Oh… I see. Thank you.”
He’s gone. I should have just told him to leave. I felt a pang of guilt, wondering if I’d kept a busy man waiting for no reason.
I decided it was best to explain what had happened briefly. I spent a long time typing and deleting a message.
You must have waited a long time. I’m sorry for holding you up when you’re so busy. If my rudeness upset you, I apologize on their behalf.
Should I put more thought into it? I had intended to rewrite the message carefully, but the sweet scent that should have vanished in the cool air-conditioned breeze wafted over me, making me flinch and spin around.
The only person with pheromones that could set my nerves on edge like this…
“Oh, you…”
Do Zion.
Staring at him as if I’d seen a ghost, I followed his movements as he sat back down in the seat beside me.
“…You didn’t leave?”
I’d heard he’d already paid the bill, but the bartender merely acknowledged Zion’s return with a nod and a smile.
“Didn’t you tell me to wait?”
“Uh, yeah…”
I stammered, my voice sounding foolish as I struggled to process his sudden reappearance.
“If you tell me to wait, I have to wait.”
He pulled a pack of pheromone cigarettes from his pocket and held it out.
“You were probably almost out.”
Jubin had just been wondering whether he’d need to stop at a convenience store on his way home, since he only had two cigarettes left.
“How do you always know? The exact moment I’m running out?”
“It’s called attention and affection.”
The lighthearted flirtation broke the tension.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said, briefly averting his gaze. “I shouldn’t have interfered.”
His voice was calm, but the way he licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck—a rare sign of nervousness—betrayed how uncomfortable he was with the situation.
Jubin couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine anymore. He carefully offered his own apology.
“If that person was rude, I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, sunbae.”
It was as if he were the one who still owed Jubin an apology.
“I’ve already made it clear so there are no misunderstandings,” the man said. “He’s not the type to hold a grudge or try to get back at you.”
After a moment of silence, he licked his lips again and slowly turned toward Cha Jubin.
“…Did you like him?”
Jubin stared intently into the man’s light brown eyes, unable to tell if the question was genuinely important or just idle curiosity. The man averted his gaze slightly and added, “He seemed to be sincere about you.”
Cha Jubin hummed softly, lost in thought.
“I did have some feelings for him. How else could I have slept with him? It’s not like I’m some fuck-crazed maniac.”
Na Hyeon-mo walked back into the room, rubbing his swollen eyes. He approached his boyfriend, who had been waiting quietly, and urged him to leave.
His understanding lover didn’t spare him a single glance, quickly making their exit just as Na Hyeon-mo had wanted.
Zion, who had been watching the scene from the corner of his eye, asked casually, “So, do you like that type, Senior? Small, delicate, cute… the kind you just want to protect?”
He trailed off, handing over the glass of ice he’d received from the bartender. Jubin shrugged as he took the glass.
“I don’t really have a type.”
What’s the point? he thought. No matter who I date, it never lasts. I’m the only one who loses out by being picky.
“So you don’t care about their dynamic as long as you can sleep with them?”
“The dynamic doesn’t matter, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with anyone. I have standards.”
He enjoyed sex, but he’d never gone so far as to be called promiscuous.
He’d never dated multiple partners at once, nor had he ever engaged in group sex, even when his partners wanted to.
He’d always set a firm boundary for himself, even with one-night stands.
The reason he was rambling all this to Do Zion was that he was desperately worried the older student might think he was just some sex-crazed senior.
“…Have you ever dated an Alpha?”
Cha Jubin took a sip of his iced water before replying casually.
“Yeah, but it didn’t last long.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he was oversharing his private life again. Crap. He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.
“Don’t ask about my personal life anymore. It’s uncomfortable.”
“Got it. I’ll head out now.”
He was the first to stand. Yeah, it was probably best to call it a night. Jubin tucked the cigarettes he’d bought into his bag.
After politely thanking the bartender, the two stepped into the elevator.
Ah, I forgot the most important part.
“About you releasing your pheromones earlier…”
The moment Jubin spoke, the other man met his gaze. His eyes seemed more tense than usual, a sharp intensity in his stare.
“I’m sorry about that too.”
He apologized quickly, adding, “I went too far.” The words left Jubin speechless. The apology had come as if the man had been waiting for the chance to offer it.
“Didn’t you know I was an Omega?”
The man hesitated to answer.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“At first, I thought you were an Alpha…”
His voice trailed off.
He’s saying he realized I was an Omega later… but if that’s true, why did he keep his pheromones out? What is that supposed to mean?
“I apologize for that, too,” Zion said.
For a moment, Jubin’s mind was a chaotic mess.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Zion added the words while glancing at him warily, a rare sight for the usually composed man. The brief silence that followed, their gazes locked, felt suffocating to Jubin.
Just then, the elevator chimed as it reached the lobby.
Maybe it’s because today has been one unexpected event after another, Jubin thought, but my head is spinning. I can’t untangle the knot of thoughts in my mind.
“It better not,” Jubin replied.
His voice had dropped an octave without him even realizing it. Only after the words left his lips did he notice how coldly they had sounded.
Zion’s eyes widened, his gaze trembling.
Even after seeing the tremor in Zion’s eyes, Cha Jubin stepped out of the elevator the moment the doors slid open.
“Jubin.”
Zion’s voice called from behind, but Jubin kept walking, his expression impassive.
The desire to accept the apology clashed with his lingering irritation.
In an instant, Jubin hurried through the lobby and out onto the deserted main street.
“Jubin!”
Zion, who had been following him, rushed forward to block his path.
“Are you really mad?”
Did he actually think I was that easy? The thought spun through Jubin’s mind.
How Zion had managed to manipulate his pheromones so freely despite having a chip implanted was none of his concern. What infuriated him was the simple fact that Zion had dared to use them on him.
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