Chapter 102: Take Responsibility
by GideonA wave of choked-back worry poured out between my short, ragged breaths, but my heart was still racing too fast for my lungs to keep up.
He didn’t need to take such a risk for my Heat.
I could have just locked the front door and endured it on my own.
He tightened his grip on Jubin’s shoulder.
“I can do this too.”
His eyes met mine, filled with an irreversible resolve.
“For your sake, I’d get this damn chip implanted in a heartbeat. What do the side effects matter now that we’ve come this far?”
My head spun from the shock, and my breath still came in ragged gasps.
I need to calm down, I thought, closing my eyes tight as I whispered his name.
“Zion…”
Jubin gently covered the hand gripping his shoulder with his own, trying to soothe him.
“It’s not too late. Let’s rethink this, okay?”
“No.”
“Do Zion!”
The weight of this argument, over such a serious matter, was becoming unbearable.
“You’re more important to me than my own life.”
It felt like a mirror being held up to him, showing just how foolish his own self-sacrificing righteousness—done in the name of protecting the other—really was.
“I know, I know. I get it…”
“Then this time, just do what I say. I’ll remove the chip after your Heat is over, so don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry? You’ve gone through the side effects yourself.”
“Yes, I have. And from experience, my side effects always hit exactly three weeks later. Your Heat will be over before then.”
His words were so resolute that I found myself speechless.
Just as I was about to ask what he was sacrificing himself for, why he was willing to endure all this…
“Heats… they’re said to be really difficult.”
He finally let his guard down, confessing his true thoughts.
“The doctor told me that for some Omegas, it’s incomparable to a pseudo-heat—it’s even more painful than childbirth. If you have to go through something that hard, I want to be the one to fully support you.”
Ah, this is karma. I’m the one who made him like this.
The advice from the countless people I’d pushed away flashed through my mind. The result of my stubborn refusal to let anyone in had snowballed into this.
I threw up my hands in surrender to his cruel kindness.
“What the hell am I going to do with you…”
Jubin covered his face in despair.
“If you get pregnant, I’ll take full responsibility, so don’t worry. I’ll support both you and the baby.”
I’m going to lose my mind.
“And if possible, I’d prefer it if the baby looked like you.”
What was I supposed to do with this absurdly affectionate Alpha?
I was a reckless lifelong single, barely managing my own life, let alone envisioning a future with someone else—a future I’d tossed far beyond the distant galaxy. Our values and priorities in life were worlds apart…
“You can’t just learn parenting from a book,” I said. “It’s not something you can do just because you like kids. It’s a massive responsibility, raising a human being into a person. You think it’ll be easy?”
“I’ll take all that responsibility,” he declared, his resolve palpable. “Just give me a baby, and I’ll handle everything else.”
He looked like he’d secretly made some grand vow. His aura was completely different now.
“You just focus on recovering and getting massages after the birth. Go back to acting whenever you want. And don’t worry about diapers or formula—I’ve already saved up plenty of money.”
He sounded like an Alpha whose lifelong dream was to be a stay-at-home dad. He was so confident in his ability to raise their children and support Jubin that he even flaunted his wealth. The sheer boldness of it made Jubin’s head spin.
“Ha… Is your dream to be a house-husband Alpha? Why are you so fearless? Aren’t you worried about ruining the career you’ve built up until now?”
Jubin wanted him to prioritize his own future. They had only just started dating, and as long as they could get through the Heat, marriage and parenthood weren’t issues that needed to be rushed.
He understood the commendable sense of responsibility that had taken root now that their relationship was official. But even if they were looking in the same direction, they were moving at completely different speeds.
“Do you think my life as an actor would be over if I got married or had a child?”
“Well…”
Jubin’s voice trailed off. For some reason, his wrist throbbed with a dull ache.
“I still haven’t achieved anything significant,” Jubin said. “But you’re right in the middle of receiving all this love and attention from the public.”
He wasn’t sure if he could endure the fickle gaze of the masses again.
“Is it not the dating rumors themselves that are the problem?” Zion asked. “Do you think I’m not good enough for you as a partner?”
Jubin nodded in silent admission. It was true—compared to Zion, he felt utterly inadequate.
“It’s just… I think it’s too early for us to be having conversations about a future together. For both of us.”
Zion let out a deep, heavy sigh, his voice thick with disappointment. “You’re so considerate of my next partner—the one who doesn’t even exist yet…”
His voice hardened at the end, as if the answer hadn’t been what he’d hoped for.
“Why don’t you ever consider the child we could have together, Sunbae? Is there even any room for me in your future?”
It wasn’t that Jubin hadn’t imagined it. In fact, the moment he’d reunited with Zion, he’d already pictured them having three children.
But that was just a fantasy. Reality was a different story.
Jubin took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he spoke with a heavy tone. “They say you lose your mind during a heat.”
“I’ll be the one keeping my head,” Zion countered.
“I’m an Omega. I’m the one who’ll be imprinted on you, going absolutely crazy wanting to get pregnant.”
“Then that’s even better,” Zion replied. “I’d love to experience every single way you’d try to make that happen.”
Look at him.
One wrong move and he wouldn’t just refuse or reject me—he’d coil around me like a snake, purring, “But you’re the one who wanted this, senior.”
“Don’t just say you’re fine with everything…”
“It’s not just ‘everything.’ It’s you, so it’s unconditionally fine.”
Just how much resolve does he have to be this fearless?
Was he still treating the idea of pregnancy like a distant problem, something that only happened to other people? Or was he just taking things one step at a time?
Did he really think just taking responsibility would solve everything?
It was exhausting trying to keep up with his train of thought.
“Don’t worry. We just have to avoid finishing inside, right?”
“I don’t think that’s a very smart solution either.”
Jubin let out a string of heavy sighs, running a hand through his hair.
“Just… yield to me this once.”
It sounded like a request, but beneath his calm voice lay a quiet, unwavering resolve. He wouldn’t back down.
A profound despair, deeper than mere loss, shimmered in his green eyes.
“I’ll take full responsibility. How many times do I have to say it?”
It was then that Zion realized. To Jubin, the future they would share was far more important than the act of parenting itself.
While Jubin focused on the hardships and uncertainties, Zion was genuinely looking forward to their future—to the sight of them becoming parents, laughing together as a family, and their lives deepening in meaning.
“After all, I only started acting because of you, sunbae. And sweeping the Three Major Film Festivals… I only did that to get your attention, to seduce you…”
“You’re something else, you know that…”
Jubin stared steadily into his eyes, as if trying to convey the full weight of his resolve.
“Fine. You seduced me, so now you have to take responsibility. I want to see you win at the Thyme Film Festival. I mean it.”
The unexpected request left Zion speechless. He let out a long sigh, lost in thought.
He’s not just impulsively asking to spend my Heat with him, Zion realized. If it’s Jubin, he’d be more sincere to his own child than anyone else.
Jubin’s sense of responsibility was so fierce that he’d always choose to sacrifice himself, even if it meant pushing his own limits.
Zion wanted to stop him from making that choice. Their future together was important, but their present happiness mattered just as much.
“I’m sorry to the child we might have, or maybe never will have… but you’re more important to me.”
The resolute determination Zion had steeled himself with began to crumble in his eyes.
He must have vowed to shoulder the burden of the heat all on his own.
You don’t have to push yourself so hard…
“Your life is more precious to me, Zion. Whether you started acting because of me, or set your sights on the Three Major Film Festivals just to get my attention, you only have the Thyme Film Festival left.”
Gratefully, Zion listened to my words calmly.
“That’s the version of you I want to see most.”
Only then did he let out a deep sigh, his lips parting. If I persuade him just a little more, he might give in…
“You’re in my future. You are, but… I just want to get through this upcoming Heat safely.”
He remained silent.
“We still have so much filming left for Leaves on the Snow, and I want to make more memories with you. That comes first for me.”
The sharpness in his gaze softened.
“I understand now. It’s just… I’ve done everything I can to prepare, but I’m still worried I might get pregnant. The anxiety just…”
The man, who had felt so distant, now drew close for her sake. Jubin reached out and pulled him into an embrace.
“I know. You want to help because you know how hard Heats are. You don’t want to leave me alone. I know exactly how you feel.”
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