Seo Jin-Woo was sitting on one of the massive couches in the VIP room.
The place is filled with all kinds of people dancing inside the club, through the window.
He watched them do that nasty dance while he sipped on his cocktail.
glass after glass, bottle after bottle.
He was drinking alcohol like it was water.
like he has been thirsty for an eternity.
Guys and girls slipped under his touch like silk.
Trying to earn his favor in any way possible.
Just to get inside his bed.
But he wasn't interested in them today.
Not today.
His dad's words stuck inside his head from the present and the past.
the ones he had said out loud and the ones he never put out, but he knew. It was too obvious to ignore.
Nothing has changed.
It shouldn't matter anymore, but here he is again like it still does.
He has spent an awful time in these clubs and hotels with those omega girls just so he could feel like he is in control, then with betas and alphas, anyone he could find.
Because it didn't matter anymore, not after his mom was gone.
Not after he found out he was an omega.
Not after he realized his dad doesn't care about him.
Everything he did to earn his favor back never worked. He was pushed away further and further into the abyss, never to return again.
So he ended up here one day.
He tried to destroy everything his dad loved, except him, except his sister.
He threw parties with his money and fucked around to ruin his reputation.
Anything bad enough, anything.
But he never crossed the line between being a human and a monster.
Not until today.
He has paid some thugs to kidnap a person, someone he doesn't even know.
Someone probably innocent.
Just to mess up his dad's work.
He knows he has messed up now, but there's no going back anymore.
The guilt is clawing at his skin, but if that person is an omega or beta, hell, even if he is an alpha, it could be dangerous for him.
He has thrown his lot in with those brutal predators, who just listen to their instincts.
And money.
But he is too far gone to call them now.
So, he doesn't.
He drinks until everything is blurry in front of his eyes, inside of his head.
Everything is blurry.
And he loves it.
- - -
Han is outside the doctor's office, the one who asked him to visit.
Everything is bad, messy. Too much for a person who likes perfection. It was too much for him to handle. But here he is still trying.
He knocks on the door and lets himself in after a little "come in" he hears.
There he is, the doctor going through some papers, with his glasses almost slipping down his nose.
"Sit." Just a little gesture towards the chair, and he goes back to his files.
"Why do you want to meet me?" Han was too impatient for this.
The doctor takes off his glasses, putting them over the file he was reading.
"Park Hyun-So, he doesn't have a second gender or pheromones."
Han held his breath; he knew that the doctors would find out about it anyway. But they still tried to hide it until the end.
"It wasn't a pheromone shock like your friend told us when he rushed in with Park Hyun-So, and you know that too."
Still not a single word escaped Han's lips as he waited for the doctor to continue. The tension in the room was palpable as they both knew the truth.
"That's why you tried to hide it with synthetic pheromones, because pheromones were like chemicals for him."
"Are you going to report it then?" Han burst out, finally breaking the silence he was keeping so far.
"No, just don't lie to me about the patient. If I hadn't caught on quickly, he'd be in cardiac arrest right now." The doctor intertwined his fingers.
"Why not?" Han questioned.
"Personal reasons." The doctor offered a tight smile. "So I expect you'll come to me directly next time this friend of yours needs help."
Han took a breath, finally at ease. "Deal."
Han got up, ready to leave, but the doctor stopped him for the last time. "Wait." He took a card from the cardholder and handed it to Han. "Take this."
Han took it and walked out, reading the name Dr.Choi Min-Seok.
- - -
Hyun-So opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a while, and then he looked around. It was a hospital room.
He was alive.
He found Do-Jin standing near the window, staring out. This was familiar. Just like the first time he got in this weird world. He chuckled, but it came out a little rougher than normal, as his throat was dry.
Still, it got Do-Jin's attention, who rushed to his side with a glass of water ready in his hand. "Here, are you ok?" He helped Hyun-So get up and took a seat next to him. Hyun-So nodded and took a sip of water.
Do-Jin looked like a puppy ready to cry. "I'm all right, dude; don't cry now." Hyun-So smiled, slapping his hand on Do-Jin's shoulder, but he forgot about the needle pumping IV fluids into his arm, causing a sharp pain. He winced and quickly pulled his hand away, making Do-Jin even more concerned.
He held his wrist, checking to make sure it wasn't bleeding. "Watch yourself; it could've gone bad. It's all my fault, if just I—"
Before he could start with the self-blame, Hyun-So interrupted, "Alright, alright, I will be more careful. So no need to blame anyone, definitely not yourself, ok?"
Do-Jin took a breath, putting Hyun-So's hand over his lap, still having a gentle grip on it as he nodded in silence.
Hyun-So smiled, looking fondly towards Do-Jin, like it's been ages since he last saw him. This guy is going to be the death of him. But at least the worst was over, for now.
It couldn't last for long as the door opened, revealing Han.
"Am I interrupting something?"
That dude had the biggest smirk on his face.
They both let go of each other's hands.
"You can be such an asshole sometimes, you know that?"
Do-Jin got up from Hyun-So's side and walked closer to him.
"Well, I asked, at the very least." Han tapped on his shoulder as he walked past to face Hyun-So. "Hey, man, you almost gave me a heart attack."
"I thought you didn't like me?" Hyun-So raised eyebrows in confusion.
"I don't want you to die like this ." Han chuckled.
"So, you're not denying the part that you hate me."
"No, I mean I don't hate you. You just get in my way a lot in the lab. That's it. Both of you are the same, annoying." Han looked at Do-Jin, at last dragging him into the conversation.
"What—" Do-Jin opened his mouth in protest but was interrupted by Han.
"Now, now, we have important matters in hand. You know that." He walked up to Do-Jin, eyes full of worry. Still he held Do-Jin's shoulders tightly, like preparing him for some kind of war.
"I can come with you. But this time you should handle it yourself. You can't hide from this forever."
Do-Jin nodded, his expression a mix of fear and determination. "I know. I'll do it," he said quietly, mentally preparing himself.
"Do you need me for anything?" Han pressed harder, trying to make him look up, but Do-Jin kept his gaze fixed on the ground.
"No, it's okay. Just stay here with Hyun-So."
Hyun-So swore he could hear the war song turn into an emotional sound of piano in the background. He had no idea what was going on, but their conversation looked intense. He was about to ask, but Do-Jin gave him a sad look before he left the room.
Han walked back to him, sitting on a chair near his bed. "Well, he just needs to deal with his dad. The Chairman. He has heard about you."