Alpha Trauma Novel (Completed) - Chapter 75. Fox Star (10)

There were countless opportunities to tell the truth. When he reunited with Wooyeon, when they started dating, or even just this morning.

“Teacher, you never intended to tell me.”

If Wooyeon hadn’t asked, they would have spent yesterday and today the same way. Eating together, sleeping in the same bed, having small conversations, and going to and from school. Today, tomorrow, and continuously thereafter. All those unknowingly passed moments had already accumulated so much.

“But how can you do this now?”

“…I was going to tell you.”

A voice barely audible was heard. The hand Wooyeon had pushed away fell weakly.

“I was going to tell you everything soon.”

“When exactly?”

Injustice turned into sorrow, then soon into anger. The emotions that filled him to the brim burst out as sharp sarcasm.

“After you reported that we were dating, and that I was staying at your place?”

The moment he heard Suhyang’s words, everything clicked in his mind. Instead of denying it, suspicion came first, that it might be true. The conclusion he already suspected felt like the truth, even without seeing it with his own eyes.

“You know what kind of person you are to me.”

However, for him, every moment of his life was Dohyun. He was his connection to the outside world, the first warmth he had ever felt, and the first emotion he would never have again. His salvation was his only support, so what did it matter if its beginning was fake?

“If you had just said one word, it wouldn’t have been like this.”

However, he wished he had known a little earlier. Before Wooyeon asked, before everything was exposed. If it had been that way, it would have been different now.

“Because I like you, I would have just overlooked it casually.”

Perhaps they could have remained good teacher and student. They could have become friends like Daniel, or just a passing memory. Even if not, he would have at least given up on his feelings for him.

The countless hypothetical situations that came to mind ultimately changed nothing. Dohyun didn’t deny it, and Wooyeon was hurt. The single word “sorry” tore at his insides.

“But now I can’t.”

Even at this moment, Wooyeon reacted to Dohyun. His heart stirred at the dry pheromones, and his chest fluttered at his handsome face. If he closed his eyes tightly, he could have overlooked it, but he had learned too much.

“It’s too late, teacher.”

The answer didn’t come immediately. He bit his lip for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

“I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid of this.”

His suppressed pheromones were anxious. The quiet, subdued atmosphere was sadder than ever. Dohyun clenched his fists and continued in a low voice.

“I knew you’d get hurt, so even though I knew I shouldn’t, I couldn’t tell you.”

“…”

“Just one word? Yes, it’s not hard to say just one word. But,”

The abruptly cut-off words were like their relationship. His slowly distorted eyes clearly reflected Wooyeon.

“How could I disappoint you with my own mouth?”

His breath-like voice was as desperate as if his heart was burning. Every expression he showed Wooyeon was gradually tinged with regret.

“…Really.”

But all of that wasn’t what Wooyeon wanted. Wooyeon covered his face with one hand and mumbled, bowing his head.

“You’re not even saying it’s a misunderstanding until the end.”

He felt as if he had been confirmed. Dohyun’s expression, and his gaze, shattered his last remaining hope. As if to declare that he shouldn’t harbor false expectations.

“…Since when?”

His head gradually cooled. The surging emotions also calmed down at some point. His terrifyingly rational mind calmly accepted the situation.

“Since when… how much, and how did it happen?”

His words were disorganized, but the meaning was clearly conveyed. Dohyun, who had silently lowered his gaze, began to speak in his characteristic gentle tone.

“I’ve known the Chairman since I was young.”

It was a story he didn’t know from the start. He had never imagined in his dreams that Dohyun knew Suhyang.

“She said you seemed to have trouble adjusting to school life, so I offered to help.”

“…”

“When you went to college, I contacted her because I was worried about you.”

On the surface, these words seemed unproblematic. His soft, sweet voice was gentle, as if trying to persuade Wooyeon.

“I wasn’t trying to monitor you. I just…”

“So you knew everything, after all.”

Yet, instead of his anger subsiding, he felt a deep sorrow. No matter how much he struggled, he was ultimately still in the palm of Suhyang’s hand. Daniel, and even his teacher. All of them were merely fabricated relationships. If he had known that these relationships started because of Suhyang, he wouldn’t have given them so much affection. The belated regret kept lingering.

“I know nothing about you, teacher.”

Tears, which had stopped, flowed down his cheeks again. The rolling droplets precariously gathered along his chin.

“Your family, your friends, not even what the tattoo on your back means. Isn’t this unfair?”

Looking back, he rarely remembered him saying anything. Wooyeon was endlessly curious about him, but he never revealed anything. That accumulated ignorance finally devoured even his trust in him.

“Did you know my name was Wooyeon?”

He couldn’t forget the emotion given by his gentle call. The single word ‘Yeon-ah’ was the first step that saved Wooyeon from the abyss. But even that, perhaps, might have been fabricated.

“Did you know I hated Alphas?”

Dohyun didn’t answer anything. Only his silently averted gaze was all the reaction he showed.

“That I was bullied, that I didn’t get along with my mom, that I hated being alone.”

“…”

“Did you know all that and were kind to me?”

An unpatched flaw eventually creates a hole in a corner of the heart. The festering wound pulsed, seeping into his true feelings. From the empty space, the uncontained sorrow burst forth.

“…I wish you hadn’t been kind to me.”

If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have been intoxicated by the kindness he offered. If so, he wouldn’t have realized how miserable and pathetic he was.

“What did you get in return?”

His haphazard voice was sharp. The raw accusation was thrown at Dohyun like a taunt.

“Money? Or a job?”

“…It’s not like that.”

Dohyun closed his mouth, his face stiff. His tightly closed lips formed a straight line.

“Don’t talk like that.”

“Then how should I talk!”

His emotions were erratic and a mess. He felt hurt, then bad, then tears came, and then anger surged again. His uncontrollable feelings were stuck in his throat, making him feel like he was going to vomit.

“Do you know that you’re leaving out all the important parts right now, Senior? How you knew my mom, how much you knew about me. What was a lie, what was real. You’re not telling me anything important, and you expect me to believe you?”

Everything was a flimsy excuse. No matter how well it was packaged, the conclusion remained unchanged.

“Did you think I’d be a fool and fall for your words again?”

Even if he heard “I love you” a hundred times, a heart can shatter from one unknown truth. If one thing breaks, two things break, and the suspicion that began then spreads uncontrollably.

“How do I know this isn’t a pretense too?”

Amusingly, upon hearing those words, Dohyun’s expression genuinely hurt. His dark eyes were tinged with sadness, and his gentle lips moved almost imperceptibly. Showing a rare sign of agitation, he spoke in a subdued voice.

“I’ve never been insincere with you.”

His gaze towards Wooyeon trembled precariously. The pheromones that slowly flowed out were also different from usual. Dohyun clenched his fists and whispered like a plea.

“Even if others don’t, you know, don’t you?”

“I…”

Wooyeon exhaled a faint breath, trailing off his words. His precariously swaying heart finally found its direction.

“How would I know?”

Despair crossed his handsome face. Wooyeon was the one who was hurt, but Dohyun’s eyes became hollow. Nevertheless, Wooyeon didn’t stop speaking.

“You said I wouldn’t know unless you told me.”

“…”

“You were the one who said that, Senior.”

Zing, a vibration rang out. The tense atmosphere changed as if glass had shattered. His slowly lowered gaze fixed on the screen, and a troubled expression appeared on Dohyun’s face.

“…”

Sometimes, an instinctive hunch sends a signal. Moments that passed unnoticed flash back, and subtle changes in expression are clearly seen.

“…Why?”

Wooyeon spoke lightly, twisting his lips. Huh, the burst of hollow laughter was utterly cold.

“Is it just a spam call again this time?”

This time, Dohyun truly looked flustered. He grabbed Wooyeon’s arm with the hand that wasn’t holding his phone. He met his gaze directly and pleaded in an urgent tone.

“No. This is a misunderstanding, Wooyeon.”

Wooyeon turned his head slightly instead of shaking off his hand. He hadn’t checked the caller, but he felt like he knew who it was without being told. Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, that fact didn’t matter anymore.

“I’ve decided to move back to the main residence.”

In the end, it was as Suhyang wished. No matter how much he ran, Wooyeon’s destination was set.

“The company is releasing an article this week. I’ll still go to school, but I can’t do club activities. This, us being together, will be the last time today.”

Last. At that one word, Dohyun’s pheromones intensified. Dohyun tightened his grip and took a step closer. The strong scent of pheromones soaked Wooyeon.

“I can’t break up with you.”

“…”

Even in this situation, Wooyeon longed for Dohyun’s embrace. He wanted to inhale his pheromones and become utterly intoxicated by the sweet feeling. Like those who covet the forbidden fruit, he wanted to cling to him, knowing he would regret it.

But Wooyeon didn’t succumb to the fleeting impulse.

“…I can’t trust you, teacher.”

At the words he barely managed to utter, Dohyun let go of Wooyeon with a blank face. His fingers, slipping away, barely clung to his lapel.

“I’ll give you your clothes through Driver Yoon.”

Wooyeon turned his back without looking at him. A small voice said goodbye to Dohyun.

“I’m leaving.”

There was no farewell. Just as their beginning was sudden, so was their parting. Dohyun’s pheromones lingered, but Wooyeon walked away without looking back. This time, Dohyun also just stared blankly at Wooyeon as he moved further away.