Chapter 4

"Did you guys watch that drama yesterday, 'Romance of Memories'?"

Woo Ji-min, with her mouth full of meat, nodded in response to Kim Soo-yeon's question.

"No, did Nayoung's memory come back?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Romance of Memories" was a popular weekend drama. It started with the protagonist Nayoung losing all her wealth to her friend Yoonmi, falling into the sea, and suffering from amnesia. Nayoung, not knowing Yoonmi's true identity, followed her orders to go to the countryside for treatment and met a man named Taeju there, leading to a romantic storyline. The drama was a hot topic everywhere. Thanks to that, even if Do-hwa didn't actively watch it, he already knew the plot.

"Taeju seems like he might take revenge for Nayoung instead of Yoonmi. Wow! It's going to be really interesting now. Make sure to watch it, guys."

Kim Soo-yeon was determined to treat those who didn't watch it like spies. Woo Ji-min responded that of course, she would watch it, and then the atmosphere became serious.

"Wouldn't it be frustrating to lose your memory?"

"It must be tough for the person affected, and those around them as well."

Do-hwa, who had been looking at the girls, had a solemn expression.

"Losing memory might be a kind of liberation."

"Liberation?"

"Yeah, sometimes it's better not to know extremely painful things."

Silence followed for a moment. The sounds of people drinking and chatting at other tables were the only chaotic noises. Do-hwa stared blankly into the air and suddenly realized. The atmosphere became awkward after his comment. He quickly glanced at Woo Ji-min, Kim Soo-yeon, and Min-jun for their reactions. They looked puzzled and uncomfortable.

"But losing memory must feel frustrating. I hope Nayoung recovers her memory quickly."

Do-hwa wrapped up his words as if trying to recover. In the meantime, the mood that had solidified when the employee grilled the meat improved again.

"My friend decided to work part-time cleaning an indoor swimming pool. She wants to buy a new phone."

At Kim Soo-yeon's remark, Woo Ji-min's eyes widened.

"Oh, what kind of phone?"

"She wants to switch to the latest model from NOC."

NOC was an American IT company known for hardware and software sales. It was famous for smartphones and tablets, with branches in Europe and Asia, and was popular.

"I want one too. They say this model is really pretty, and the photos come out beautifully. And there are some other features too..."

Kim Soo-yeon opened an internet app on her phone to start searching, and her eyes widened.

"Wow, NOC's CEO's illegitimate son is an extreme right-wing alpha?"

"He's famous. He was in the media a lot for being an extreme right-wing alpha, but when did he become so quiet? There's not a single photo exposed by the media. Looks like NOC took care of it."

"If he's an extreme right-wing alpha, he must be incredibly handsome, right? Even just an alpha is extremely good-looking, you know?"

Although alphas and omegas were the same type genetically, there was a clear difference between dominant and submissive. At a glance, the dominant one was more developed and attractive. So, an extreme right-wing alpha must be unimaginably beautiful. However, such discussions felt like observing the universe for Beta Do-hwa.

"But isn't Min-jun, even though he's a Beta, much more handsome than Ji-hoon, the extreme right-wing alpha? He's taller too, right?"

Kim Soo-yeon looked at Min-jun, her eyes twinkling. But Min-jun just smiled without giving an answer. He seemed shy about it.

"By the way, Min-jun, is your friend not looking for more people for the swimming part-time job? Should I give it a try?"

"It's extremely demanding; do you think you can handle it?"

Kim Soo-yeon pushed aside Woo Ji-min's words and looked intently at Min-jun.

"Min-jun, are you good at swimming?"

Woo Ji-min also threw an interested gaze. Do-hwa was also focused. Since seeing Min-jun's naked body this spring, he had thought he looked like a swimmer.

"I'm a beer bottle. I'm really bad at swimming."

Min-jun's unexpected response surprised everyone. They didn't expect this reaction from him.

"Aren't you good at sports? You played sports pretty well at the athletic meet, but you can't swim?"

"I had an experience of almost drowning when I was young. So, I'm scared of water."

"Even a good-looking guy like you can't do something. Interesting."

Kim Soo-yeon's eyes sparkled even at Min-jun's weakness. Woo Ji-min was also keenly observing Min-jun.

"Min-jun, are you perhaps mixed-race? Your intonation and pronunciation are like that, and your features don't seem Asian."

Do-hwa had suspected this because of Min-jun's Western manners and way of speaking.

However, Min-jun seemed hesitant to talk about himself, and Do-hwa didn't intend to get closer, so he let it go. Even now, Min-jun hesitated to answer but eventually nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"Really? Between your father and mother, who is Korean?"

"Sunbae, shall I fill your empty glass?"

Min-jun glanced at Woo Ji-min's empty glass, poured beer, and skillfully avoided answering.

"The beer tastes better when Min-jun pours it."

Woo Ji-min's attention shifted to beer, and she smiled. Min-jun also smiled at her, but a sense of chilliness lingered.

"Do-hwa, are you good at swimming? Weren't you in the swimming club in middle school?"

After emptying her beer, Woo Ji-min looked at Do-hwa and asked. It seemed she remembered something Do-hwa casually mentioned during their freshman year. Awkwardly, Do-hwa rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah... but that's an old story."

"Someday, I want to see you swimming. Oh, by the way, you're taking a leave of absence again from next semester, right? Is that true?"

"How did you know?"

"I had a drink with Dong-jin senior the day before yesterday, and he spilled the beans."

Dong-jin senior, mentioned by Woo Ji-min, was the club president. Since the reason for taking a leave was not something positive, Do-hwa first informed the club president and planned to tell others later. But it seemed the news had spread already. Dong-jin senior was like loose-lipped after drinking.

"Why are you taking a leave?"

"It's due to tuition problems and family circumstances overlapping. I also want to take a break from club activities during the leave..."

While explaining, Do-hwa couldn't finish his words. It was because of Min-jun's gaze, which felt like a sharp arrow. Even without looking directly, he softly observed Min-jun. A blue energy was felt in his brown eyes – it felt angry and shocked.

At that moment, Min-jun's scent became noticeable. It was somewhat gloomy. Do-hwa couldn't figure out why he suddenly became aware of a scent that wasn't there just a moment ago.

"Sunbae, is that really true?"

"Yeah, that's how it turned out. Take care while I'm away, Min-jun."

"..."

Instead of a reply, Min-jun's eyes became sharp. It felt like a storm was raging. Because of that, Do-hwa felt like he had made a huge mistake.

"Disappointing. Why didn't you tell us in advance?"

Woo Ji-min softened her tone.

"I was planning to tell you soon. I'm sorry."

"When are you planning to return to school?"

"That hasn't been decided yet. If things go well, I might even withdraw..."

"What? Withdraw?"

Woo Ji-min's eyes widened, and Min-jun's intense gaze fixed on Do-hwa. It felt like facing an enraged beast. At the same time, Do-hwa felt a burning sensation in his throat, and he swallowed a couple of sips of beer, unable to muster the courage to look at Min-jun any longer.

"Withdrawal, huh?"

Min-jun's previously stiff expression gradually softened as the Omegas approached him. He adopted a warm expression, engaging in conversation as usual.

Perhaps it was his mood, but it was a look Do-hwa had never seen on the usually affectionate Min-jun. Moreover, the gloomy scent that was present just a while ago had disappeared. In the midst of wondering whether the scent had dissipated, Do-hwa felt perplexed.

"Do-hwa, your older brother is also on leave starting this semester, right?"

As she mentioned, Do-hwa had an older Omega brother, Woo-sung, who was one year senior.

"Yeah..."

"It's tough when siblings take leaves one after another... hang in there."

"My brother had some work this summer, so it couldn't be helped. Now, the situation has become unavoidable for me too..."

Unable to speak openly about his deep concerns, Do-hwa finished his words vaguely. Woo Ji-min seemed to have sensed Do-hwa's feelings and didn't inquire further.

"Hope everything gets resolved. Now, let's have a drink."

Woo Ji-min raised a beer bottle, and Do-hwa accepted, taking a sip.

The atmosphere returned to normal as they continued drinking and chatting. With alcohol flowing and stories being shared, the slight hangover seemed to fade away. It wasn't a severe hangover after all.

"Do-hwa, are you handling your drinks well today?"

"Be careful. You got drunk in your freshman year, called yourself by name to seniors, and caused a scene, remember?"

"Ah... right."

Do-hwa put down the glass he was drinking. During a past end-of-term party, he had a bottle of soju and completely lost his mind. He ended up using informal language and acting cute towards seniors. Feeling thoroughly embarrassed, Do-hwa had since tried to drink alcohol in moderation.

Come to think of it, he drank quite a bit with Min-jun at a rice cake soup restaurant last spring. Wasn't there any issue back then? Reflecting on that while looking at Min-jun, he found that Min-jun's eyes were already focused on him. It was a subtle gaze that couldn't decipher emotions, but a definite sense of intimidation could be felt.

Feeling uncomfortable, Do-hwa started drinking beer again. As his mind cleared, the tension towards him relaxed.

When several empty bottles had accumulated on the table, Kim Su-yeon had a brief phone call with someone and then ended it.

"I think I should go now. My brother is waiting in front of the restaurant."

"Oh, got a boyfriend?"

"No, it's my cousin. You know there's a crazy person around the university area these days. So, if I'm even a bit late, he worries and comes to pick me up."

There had been a lunatic attacking people around this area for the past month. Most victims were either Omega or female Beta. Just a week ago, there was a reported fatality. It became a hot topic and led to an increase in students forming groups for safety.

"I've seen that news too. Senior, don't walk alone."

Min-jun looked at Do-hwa with a serious expression.

"Ah... right."

Although such news made him uneasy and frightened, it felt somewhat disconnected from his Beta self.