Alpha Trauma Novel - Chapter 35. Rock (4)

As soon as Wooyeon finished speaking, applause filled the classroom. The professor also wrote something on the grading sheet with a satisfied expression. Only Junseong glared at Wooyeon, his face flushed.

“The idea was original… The content was substantial and excellent. Your presentation manner was also superb.”

The idea was Wooyeon’s, and Dohyun had created the script. Seongyu had helped with the insufficient materials, and Garam with the PPT. However, instead of those three, Wooyeon appropriately mixed and wrote down the names of his group members.

“But… does this group have four members?”

The professor asked, marking something on the grading sheet. Presumably, he was noting down the roles of each group member. Wooyeon calmly replied without looking at Junseong.

“We couldn’t get in touch with the group member who was supposed to make the PPT, so we unfortunately had to remove his name.”

“Was this agreed upon by all group members?”

“Yes.”

“Professor!”

No sooner had Wooyeon answered than Junseong abruptly stood up. Clunk, at the loud noise, the professor frowned and looked his way. Junseong, unable to hide his angry face, urgently opened his mouth.

“I’m Kang Junseong from the Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Group 1’s leader. I think there’s been some misunderstanding…”

“The class is still in session, so I won’t hear that now. If you have a complaint, discuss it with your group members and then come to my office.”

Rarely, Wooyeon thought, this time it served him right. Junseong had so confidently asserted that the professor wouldn’t listen, yet he himself was now in that very predicament. Junseong looked wronged, but as the professor called out the next group, he sat down, his face bright red.

As Wooyeon walked back to his seat, students whispered, looking at both him and Junseong. They had undoubtedly overheard the earlier altercation before the presentation and were now curious about the situation. If left alone, rumors would spread, but none of them would side with Junseong. To be precise, they wouldn’t side with either of them.

Wooyeon knew how terrifying public indifference could be. Though Junseong was in the wrong now, even if Wooyeon had unilaterally removed his name, no one would have intervened. Conversely, if Junseong had removed Wooyeon’s name, it would have been the same.

Throughout the presentations of the other groups, Junseong bowed his head and his shoulders trembled. If he weren’t a Recessive, furious pheromones would have poured out. Wooyeon didn’t even glance at Junseong, resting his chin on his hand as if concentrating on the presentation.

“Everyone did better than expected.”

The presentation lasted a full hour and a half before finally ending. The professor briefly shuffled through the reports, then told them to email the PPT. He mentioned that grades would be announced later, and then the professor looked towards Wooyeon.

“And Group 1.”

Wooyeon straightened his posture and looked at the professor. He wondered if it was about removing Junseong’s name, but the professor brought up a different topic.

“It was perfect. There haven’t been many seniors who did this well, did you perhaps look at past exams or something?”

For a moment, Wooyeon debated whether to mention Dohyun. Would his score be deducted if he said a senior helped him? Even with that thought, his mouth moved on its own.

“Kim Dohyun sunbae from the English department…”

“Ah, Dohyun.”

Fortunately, the professor did not look displeased. Instead, upon hearing Dohyun’s name, he nodded with a satisfied expression. He added that Dohyun was very diligent in everything he did and asked Wooyeon to convey his regards if he had the chance.

It wasn’t even a major-specific lecture, but a general elective taken by many students. Wooyeon had felt it during course registration, but Dohyun’s school life was admirable in many ways.

“There won’t be any assignments for a while, so everyone rest well and I’ll see you next week.”

As the professor concluded the class, Junseong rushed to the podium. He said something to the professor, then received permission and even operated the laptop. The professor, who had been quietly stroking his chin while looking at the screen, lifted his head with a frown.

“Seon Wooyeon, can I see you for a moment?”

The professor’s office had a large desk and a multi-person table. The bookshelves lining the walls were packed with various textbooks, and there was even a water dispenser and a plant in one corner, giving it a strangely cozy atmosphere.

“So… Kang Junseong said he did the assignment, but you removed his name?”

The professor frowned deeply, even taking off his glasses, looking exhausted. He shook his head, lamenting that such incidents happened every year without fail. Junseong stood with his hands behind his back, his voice sounding wronged.

“As I showed you earlier, I definitely made the PPT. It was just a little late in sending it, and I think removing my name is too much.”

“Well… alright. Seon Wooyeon, do you have anything to say?”

Wooyeon took out his phone without a word and approached the professor. He opened the group chat and showed it to him, and the professor squinted.

“I asked for the PPT several times, but there was no reply. If he had at least said he was working on it, I would have waited, but since he unilaterally ignored contact, I got the materials from the other group members. To say it was ‘a little late’ is an understatement; I received no contact from him until the day of the presentation.”

Junseong, who had glanced over, was stunned and kept his mouth tightly shut. He rolled his eyes as if trying to come up with an excuse, but no suitable one seemed to come to mind. The professor then coolly sealed his fate.

“I don’t know the full story, but based on this, it seems you did ignore contact. Whatever else, if you’re the group leader, you should communicate responsibly.”

“But Professor, I did the assignment…”

“If we’re talking about the completeness of the assignment, there’s no doubt that what Seon Wooyeon made is superior. What you made could be done in just a day or two.”

In fact, Wooyeon had also made it in two days, but the professor wouldn’t know that in a dream. Junseong also looked at him with narrow eyes, seemingly thinking that Wooyeon had been preparing to screw him over all along.

“I have nothing more to say, so you two work it out among yourselves. If you both come back before the next class, I’ll take it into consideration.”

As if he had no more to say, the professor waved his hand. Wooyeon bowed politely and left the professor’s office without looking back. Before the door closed, he heard Kang Junseong, who hadn’t given up hope, protesting to the professor.

“I clearly discussed it with the group members, too…”

Click. As soon as the door closed, the sound from inside was completely blocked off. It’s well soundproofed, Wooyeon thought, a useless observation, as he moved towards the stairs. Checking his phone belatedly, he saw messages from his group members.

“……”

Wooyeon slowly stopped walking the moment he saw the messages. You presented really well, I’ll work hard next time. Amidst sentences that were clearly said out of politeness, exactly four characters caught his eye.

Good job.

It was the first time. The first time he had done an assignment and heard someone say “Good job.” Instead of curses like You ruined it because of you, it was gratitude like You saved us.

‘That pig bastard ruined everything.’

‘Hey, you fcking couldn’t even do that?’*

‘That bastard also removed our names…’

It felt like a heavy Rock was stuck in his throat. The Rock, lodged in the hollow beneath his Adam’s apple, was hard and even hot. Wooyeon bit the inside of his cheek, unable to swallow.

‘Useless bastard.’

Wooyeon never thought the group members had done well. They hadn’t tried to torment him like Junseong, but they had merely tagged along. To be moved by a simple “good job,” there was someone else with whom he needed to share this emotion.

However, the moment he saw the words ‘Good job,’ Wooyeon finally remembered a fact he had barely managed to ignore: that for three years in middle school, he had been treated worse than a pig.

“……”

His stomach churned and twisted. He felt like he might vomit, and a little like crying. If his teacher were in front of him now, he thought he might just collapse and cry buckets, just like that one time.

“Hey, Seon Wooyeon!”

But Wooyeon couldn’t indulge in long emotions and pulled himself together. Thump, thump, with heavy footsteps, Junseong came rushing over. From their conversation in the professor’s office, his face was bright red with anger.

“You f*cking…!”

Junseong immediately grabbed Wooyeon by the collar. He roughly shoved him, causing the back of Wooyeon’s head to hit the wall with a bang. Wooyeon felt a throbbing pain in his head and clenched his jaw tight.

“Ugh…”

For a moment, his vision bleached white. He didn’t know for sure, but he thought he might get a concussion. Junseong breathed raggedly, exhaling an overwhelming amount of intense pheromones.

“Hey, does it feel good to screw me over like this?”

Wooyeon barely managed to raise one hand and grab Junseong’s wrist. He was so angry that, despite being a Recessive, the pheromones he emitted were no joke. Feeling his already upset stomach churn a little more, Wooyeon twisted Junseong’s wrist outwards.

“Argh…!”

Crack, with a grotesque sound, Junseong retreated weakly. It was a pathetic reaction for someone who had been so swaggering, but instead of scoffing, Wooyeon cleared his throat. His head was still throbbing, indicating how hard he had hit it.

“F*ck, let go!”

Junseong swore, shaking off Wooyeon’s hand. Wooyeon had no intention of holding on longer, so he readily let go and massaged the back of his head. As expected, a tingling pain radiated from the spot where he had hit the wall.

“……Ha, seriously.”

Rarely, Wooyeon muttered a curse in a subdued voice. He wasn’t one to get emotional easily, but being grabbed by the collar so abruptly made him angry. The pheromones that slowly crept out heavily oppressed Junseong.

“F*ck, you…!”

Junseong gasped, inhaling sharply in the middle of his sentence. The pheromones swirling in the air were flattening his lungs. Wooyeon, without bothering to control his pheromones, took a step closer to him.

“What did I do?”

Truly, it had been a long time since he was this furious. No, for the first time in his life, he was so hot with rage that his rationality flew out the window. Who was the one who felt truly wronged and driven to madness, so why was this guy acting like the victim?

“What did I do, you bastard?”

Wooyeon said, grabbing Junseong by the collar.