Woosung Alpha’s Sour Grapes

Chapter 42

The omega he had met at the cafe that day was sitting alone in the middle of the leather sofa that surrounded three sides of the room in a D shape. On the large table in the center, expensive-looking whiskey and fruit snacks were visible. Looking at just the room, it seemed like an ordinary bar. If only the hellish stages from earlier weren’t visible through the walls.

Hyeon-woo’s face, exhausted from the ordeal outside, was a mess, drenched in cold sweat. Se-jin smiled at Hyeon-woo’s pale complexion.

He had watched every moment through the glass window as the young omega collapsed on the floor, dry heaving and shedding tears. It was a delicious sight that made additional snacks unnecessary.

“Sit down.”

Se-jin gestured to an empty seat, inviting Hyeon-woo to sit, but Hyeon-woo didn’t comply.

“So, why did you want to see me?”

Se-jin asked bluntly towards Hyeon-woo, who remained standing. Se-jin kept giggling amusedly as he looked Hyeon-woo up and down, taking in his haggard appearance.

The other night, while struggling and repeatedly failing to uncover the identity of the extremely dominant alpha who had given him ecstatic pleasure, this omega had provided a crucial opportunity to get one step closer to that unknown existence.

When he investigated the omega’s background using the phone number he had obtained, the alpha’s identity was revealed far too easily. That wounded Se-jin’s pride.

He thought it might be someone from an important family, but he never imagined that the Taeryeong Group would be backing him. As his longing for an unattainable target grew, so did his jealousy towards the young omega day by day.

Se-jin’s aimless anger, on the eve of his wedding, finally pulled the trigger towards Hyeon-woo. He had tried to completely drag him down to rock bottom, even going so far as to bribe people with money, but it ended in failure, which was disappointing. However, seeing his dazed appearance now made him feel somewhat relieved. He had reported the check he had given to the thug as lost. Of course, he had planned to do so even if the request had been fulfilled.

An obvious sneer appeared on Se-jin’s face towards Hyeon-woo.

He had deliberately called him here. To make him realize his situation and suffer as he watched omegas panting like dogs at the dominant alpha pheromones. He wanted to thoroughly imprint on him that his condition was not much different from theirs. Watching the more intense than expected reaction, Se-jin felt that his intended goal had been achieved.

Hyeon-woo looked straight into the eyes of the omega smirking at him.

Because the first impression had been so bad, he had thought there might be some misunderstanding in how he remembered the omega’s appearance. He had rationalized to himself: Maybe he’s a better person than I thought once you get to know him. Because this was the omega Tae-geon had chosen.

But that wasn’t the case.

There was no way such a vile omega could be Tae-geon’s lover. There was no way that embrace, which hadn’t been allowed even to himself, could belong to an omega like this. It was impossible.

As that conviction solidified, his mind became clearer instead. There was no need to maintain any pretense of face or justification. He just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Hyeon-woo got straight to the point.

“You said you had sex with Tae-geon. What kind of relationship do you have?”

“Ah, so that’s why you wanted to meet. Because of Tae-geon.”

Se-jin’s eyes narrowed like a cunning snake. His insides twisted at the young omega’s voice casually uttering the alpha’s name.

“What about you? Are you still just friends?”

Hyeon-woo coldly retorted to Se-jin’s question.

“I asked first.”

“…Hmm.”

Se-jin’s eyes curved into crescents as he delayed his answer.

From the pointless message he had suddenly sent, and the way he had rushed here in one breath, it was obvious even without looking. Despite claiming to be friends, it seemed some serious problem had arisen in that precious friendship of theirs.

Somehow, it was delightful. Finding his composure, Se-jin softened his hostility towards Hyeon-woo and spoke with a smile on his face.

“Tae-geon and I are lovers… though that’s not enough to describe it.”

Se-jin stopped Hyeon-woo, who was about to demand what that meant, and slowly continued speaking.

“It’s a more tender and meaningful relationship.”

“……”

“Tae-geon created a uterus for me.”

“……”

“I don’t know what he liked about me, being half-disabled… but he was so attentive every time we had sex. One day, I found I had developed a uterus.”

Se-jin inwardly rejoiced as he watched Hyeon-woo’s face turn pale.

“I was really surprised. Tae-geon’s love made me be reborn as an omega. With those amazing extremely dominant alpha pheromones.”

“……”

“He made me his omega, he did.”

*

He made me his omega, he did.

He made me his omega, he did.

He made me his omega, he did.

Hyeon-woo knew better than anyone that dominant alpha pheromones could influence manifestation, as he had experienced it himself. However, there were no papers or journals explaining this phenomenon based on medical evidence.

While civilization progressed with the dazzling advancement of science, diseases decreased, and life expectancy increased, strangely, research on manifestation was still at a rudimentary stage.

If he hadn’t experienced it himself, he might have dismissed it as nonsense. It might have been better that way. It was all the more painful because he knew that the omega’s outrageous words were not lies.

He too had manifested as an omega due to Tae-geon’s pheromones. His very existence was living proof supporting the omega’s statement.

The difference was that unlike the other who became an omega through Tae-geon’s loving care, he had manifested on his own, regardless of Tae-geon’s intentions. And even that was only a partial manifestation.

“Ah…”

Did he say I was like an accident…?

Click- click click-.

Hyeon-woo, walking down the deserted street with a blank gaze, started biting his nails. Small lights flickered at the edge of the unpaved road covered in deep darkness. Using the headlights of distant cars as a guide, Hyeon-woo walked and walked with slow steps.

He had resigned himself to the fact that the cause of his manifestation lay with Tae-geon, thinking it was unavoidable, but deep in his heart, an inexplicable sense of superiority was growing day by day, feeding on this fact.

Choi Tae-geon, who made me an omega.

The only omega allowed by Tae-geon’s side.

Knowing that no one else in the world could be with Tae-geon, he had tried to be content with his current position. He believed that a life of imprinting on each other, mating, and forming a family like any ordinary alpha and omega was an impossible dream.

…But…

‘He made me his omega, he did.’

It had all been his own delusion.

He was not Tae-geon’s only and special omega.

Suddenly, he remembered Tae-geon rejecting him when he tried to lie down with his head on Tae-geon’s lap out of habit while watching a movie. When had all the normal skinship disappeared?

Was that around the time of their relationship?

As Hyeon-woo imagined Tae-geon deeply desiring an omega, not just using them as a deodorant to cleanse his sense of smell, burying his face in their embrace and craving their pheromones, a sharp scream burst from his mouth.

Looking down at his fingers throbbing with terrible pain, he saw that half of his thumbnail had been torn off from being chewed by his teeth. His lips were damp and salty. When he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, it came away with blood that had been flowing down his chin.

The image of the two of them embracing and cherishing each other like affectionate lovers was stuck in his mind, tormenting Hyeon-woo.

How sweet must that kiss have been?

How warm must that embrace have been?

He couldn’t bear how envious he was of all the sensations the omega must have experienced in Tae-geon’s arms – the fullness, pleasure, and ecstasy. His chest was hot with anger and jealousy swirling chaotically.

Suddenly, Hyeon-woo remembered the moment when he had gone grocery shopping with Tae-geon. Tae-geon had repeatedly emphasized to him as he stared absentmindedly at an alpha gently caressing a pregnant omega’s belly.

It’s not possible, he had said.

Don’t even dream about it, he had said.

And yet, he himself had been picturing a cozy future with someone else. Even creating a non-existent uterus for an omega.

He hated Tae-geon for giving everything to that omega while not even giving him a chance to confess his feelings.

It was hard to accept the reality that he was no longer Tae-geon’s only one.

…Why not me?

You promised to be together with me for life.

If someone were to claim Tae-geon’s embrace, it had to be him.

His whole body felt like it was burning up with a sense of betrayal.

It was unfair. Why wasn’t it him?

…Was it because he was dirty…?

Did Tae-geon consider him dirty for carelessly sleeping with numerous alphas? If not that, was it because he disliked the fact that he had manifested as an omega due to another alpha?

“…Haha… hahaha…”

The taxi driver kept nervously glancing at Hyeon-woo through the rearview mirror. He seemed mentally unstable. The driver was regretting his decision to pick up this passenger out of pity, seeing him standing blankly by the roadside looking like a corpse.

“Huk-hu, huk-huhaha!”

Hyeon-woo laughed, curled up with his back shaking. Dark tear stains spread on his pants where he had buried his face. He started scratching his arms as if having a seizure. The skin under his nails quickly turned red with blood as he mercilessly clawed at his chin, neck, and collarbone.

After giving some extra money to the driver who was shocked by this sight, Hyeon-woo got out of the taxi. Thinking it was extremely fortunate that he had told Tae-geon in advance that he would be visiting his family home, Hyeon-woo entered a hotel.