Woosung Alpha’s Sour Grapes

Chapter 5

“Hello, this is Hyeon-woo. Is Tae-geon inside?”

“The young master is a bit busy right now. Please come back later.”

Once again, he was turned away at the door.

As Hyeon-woo’s gaze left the silent intercom, he noticed faded scribbles carved into the marble column below. Though blurred by time and barely recognizable to others, they were clear to him.

A star shape, a rabbit shape, a spaceship shape. These were marks he had made with stray pebbles as a child while waiting for Tae-geon to open the door. Feeling nostalgic, he turned towards home.

If there was any consolation, it was that he could at least confirm Tae-geon was home. With their college preparations disrupted at such a crucial time, Hyeon-woo worried daily that Tae-geon might suddenly leave to study abroad.

He didn’t have any particular dreams about college life. Knowing Tae-geon’s aversion to crowded places, it was clear they wouldn’t be joining drinking parties, academic societies, or clubs. Hyeon-woo thought they’d just stick together, earn credits, and graduate as they always had.

But since Tae-geon didn’t want to live like a monk either, there had been small disagreements between them while preparing applications.

Given Hyeon-woo’s consistently high grades, the school expressed concern several times about their unreasonable choice. However, unable to overcome Tae-geon’s stubbornness, they eventually applied to an obscure university in a remote mountainous area. They received admission two weeks ago.

Somehow, Tae-geon had even persuaded their parents. Even Hyeon-woo’s mother, who had strongly opposed the idea, changed her stance. Most likely, there must have been promises made about their career paths after graduation.

His mother’s rigid attitude towards university prestige was due to concerns about Hyeon-woo’s future. He could vividly imagine a future working at one of the Taeryeong Group’s subsidiaries.

Just as everything was being settled according to Tae-geon’s wishes, his family suddenly raised objections. It felt as if they were deliberately tormenting Tae-geon to get something they wanted.

Whenever there was friction with his family, Tae-geon would completely cut himself off and distance himself. So this time too, Hyeon-woo couldn’t know the exact details, but it was likely about the succession of management rights.

While the inheritance of family businesses was very common in Alpha families, Tae-geon disliked it. Even as a student, he often had conflicts with his family over this issue. During those times, Hyeon-woo could only anxiously wait as Tae-geon became unreachable and secluded himself.

Until now, it seemed that Tae-geon’s family had been somewhat accommodating of his strong-willed nature, but not this time. As if they were no longer willing to compromise now that he was an adult, a tense standoff had continued for several days.

Meanwhile, Hyeon-woo experienced his third heat cycle.

Since it wasn’t a proper manifestation, the cycle was irregular. The prodromal symptoms before the heat were abnormally long. He had to face the heat, feeling like he was carrying a time bomb that could explode at any moment, but this also gave him ample time to look for an Alpha, which was advantageous in a way.

His body started to heat up like he had a fever. A groan of discomfort escaped his lips involuntarily. His head felt dizzy, and his whole body shivered. Cold sweat beaded on Hyeon-woo’s forehead as he turned on his laptop.

After arranging a meeting place and time with an Alpha active in the community, he left home.

The more he engaged in these acts, the more he understood why Betas so envied the physical relationships between Alphas and Omegas. When an Alpha’s core penetrated him, every nerve in his body seemed to cry out in joy.

Beyond the dicks probing his back, the air surrounding him stimulated his skin pores, creating an exhilarating sensation. Hyeon-woo instinctively realized this was the Alpha’s pheromones.

However, what was strange was that no matter how much he tried to smell it, he couldn’t perceive it as a scent. Even if he buried his nose in the Alpha’s nape, as Tae-geon often did to him, there was no stimulation that could be detected as a ‘scent’. Only the smell of cheap body wash provided by the motel assaulted his senses.

Was it because he wasn’t a proper Omega? It was clear there was a problem with his manifestation, but he thought it might be for the best. Not being able to smell pheromones meant that imprinting with an Alpha was also impossible.

Imprinted Alphas and Omegas can only satisfy their sexual desires through each other. That must never happen. Sex with Alphas was merely a means to conceal his true nature, nothing more, nothing less.

That’s why Hyeon-woo never maintained ongoing relationships with one person. Since mixing bodies with the same person repeatedly would inevitably create a ‘relationship’, whether he liked it or not, he only sought one-night stands that couldn’t even be called sex partners.

Someone he would never meet again.

Because of this, he could be more true to his desires.

Hyeon-woo, trembling under the Alpha’s touch, climaxed once more. The guilt and self-loathing he felt during his first encounter gradually dulled as these acts were repeated. Even the reluctance to think of Tae-geon during sex disappeared.

What’s wrong with just imagining?

It’s wrong to act on imagination, but having fantasies alone isn’t a sin, right?

Once he started thinking like this, there was nothing left to hold him back.

*

The campus was crowded with people. Among those gathered in small groups taking selfies with colorful bouquets in their arms, there were also some hugging each other and shedding tears.

Hyeon-woo, who was busily looking around as if searching for someone, also held a bouquet decorated with yellow roses and a diploma in his arms.

“Hyeon-woo! Look here!”

At his mother’s request, Hyeon-woo’s gaze turned back to the camera.

“Now, say cheese~”

Hyeon-woo forced a smile, but his heart was uneasy.

“Han Hyeon-woo, congratulations on your graduation.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“Take care.”

As he wasn’t particularly close with anyone, Hyeon-woo exchanged formal greetings with a few classmates. One of them approached Hyeon-woo with a timid voice.

“I didn’t see your name on the acceptance banner. I was curious which school you’re going to. You did well in your studies, didn’t you?”

“I just applied to a small local university.”

“Why?”

“…”

Why, indeed.

Because Tae-geon said so.

It was a question he never needed to consider because a future with Tae-geon seemed so natural.

“Won’t you regret it later?”

As Hyeon-woo was choosing an appropriate response, he started to get annoyed with the whole situation. He didn’t want to make excuses or seek understanding from someone who knew nothing. If Tae-geon were here, they wouldn’t have even dared to approach and start this conversation.

Sensing Hyeon-woo’s discomfort, another guy quickly intervened.

“Who are you to worry about him? You’re the one retaking the exam.”

“No, that’s why it’s even more confusing. It’s a waste of his grades.”

“Mind your own business. Hyeon-woo, we’ll be going now! Bye!”

Hyeon-woo blankly watched the backs of the guys hurriedly leaving. His already bitter mood sank further.

In the end, Tae-geon didn’t show up throughout the graduation ceremony.

After finishing lunch at the restaurant his mother had reserved, Hyeon-woo headed home alone while his mother left for a prior engagement.

As he walked along the long fence, a black cat appeared at the corner. It was one that often showed up in front of his house. Far from being wary of Hyeon-woo’s approach, it rubbed itself against his legs, swishing its raised tail back and forth.

Feeling down, Hyeon-woo crouched by the fence and petted the affectionate cat for a long time. It provided some comfort.

How long had he been there?

“Achoo!”

Hyeon-woo sneezed and sniffled. His hands, exposed while petting the cat, were freezing cold.

“I have to go now. It’s cold, you should go inside too.”

He got up, dusting himself off, and headed back home. He wanted to quickly warm up his cold body in a bathtub filled with hot water.

“Hm, achoo!”

Covering his mouth as he sneezed again, Hyeon-woo suddenly realized his hands were empty. Distracted by petting the cat, he had left his bouquet and diploma by the fence.

He turned back, almost running to the corner of the fence, and nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Hyeon-woo apologized as he looked up and caught his breath. Tae-geon was standing in front of him, holding his bouquet and diploma.

“…Hey! You!”

“Han Hyeon-woo, you haven’t fixed that habit.”

“…”

“Carelessly dropping things like a child.”

Tae-geon’s smiling face was full of mischief. Hyeon-woo felt angry at Tae-geon for making him worry and then showing up after so long just to tease him.

“Really, what’s going on?! What happened?!”

Hyeon-woo shouted and punched Tae-geon in the solar plexus.

“Ugh.”

Hyeon-woo glared at Tae-geon, who was pretending to be hurt, and then spoke in a worried voice.

“…Is everything resolved?”

“Yeah.”

“The school too?”

“Yeah. Got permission for both school and home.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

As Hyeon-woo sighed in relief, Tae-geon held out the bouquet and diploma he was holding.

“Here. Congratulations on your graduation.”

Tch. Did I graduate alone?

Grumbling inwardly, Hyeon-woo reached out towards Tae-geon, but instead of the bouquet or diploma, a transparent box was placed in his hand. Through it, he could see a pure white cake decorated with red strawberries on top. Hyeon-woo, who had received it reflexively, looked at Tae-geon with a puzzled expression.

“What’s this?”

“We agreed to celebrate together when you manifested, remember?”

Hyeon-woo looked down at the cake pensively. They had said something like that in passing when they were in elementary school. That when he manifested as an Alpha, they would have a celebration party together. That they would have a really grand celebration party, including Tae-geon’s share. He didn’t expect Tae-geon to remember it until now.

“Congratulations on your manifestation.”

Hearing Tae-geon’s voice saying this, Hyeon-woo felt breathless. His dark eyes, looking at the cake, were deeply tinged with guilt and self-loathing.