Omega Complex Novel (Completed) - Chapter 6

I felt a surge of anger. He was saying he was relieved I wasn’t an Omega without knowing what I was thinking. The person who was supposed to give the rice cake wasn’t even thinking about it, so what was I thinking? I felt embarrassed about how happy I had been a moment ago when I heard he didn’t have a girlfriend.

“I’m going out for a smoke.”

I hastily picked up the cigarette I had left on the table and stood up. My throat felt hot, as if a thousand fires were burning inside me. Choi Taegyeom looked up at me, frowning slightly.

“Smoking again?”

“Is that something I should hear from you, who’s drinking?”

Choi Taegyeom pressed his lips together. Indeed, it wasn’t something to hear from a guy who was drinking by himself.

As I grabbed my coat, he stood up, suggesting we go together, but I restrained him, pressing firmly on his shoulder.

“Stay seated. You don’t like the smell of cigarettes anyway.”

“Then don’t smoke.”

“I’ll air out the smell and come back.”

Choi Taegyeom still looked displeased, but he didn’t actively try to stop me. He probably realized long ago that trying would be useless.

“Oh, right.”

Before going out for a smoke, there was one last thing to check. A question I’d always been curious about but never dared to ask. It was important to act uninterested this time too.

“What would you do if I were an Omega?”

Choi Taegyeom’s eyebrows shot up. It was one of his habits when he had something to ponder. Before he could get too serious, I quickly waved my hand.

“Don’t think too deeply. I just asked. Out of curiosity.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. Even I, who asked it, couldn’t help but find the question absurd.

However he interpreted my laughter, Choi Taegyeom relaxed his expression, as if I were being silly.

“Then I wouldn’t have been friends with you.”

“Is that so?”

There was nothing more to hear. I briefly considered showing some disappointment, but even that felt pathetic, so I gave up. What could I possibly say to a guy who thought I was a Beta?

“Anyway, I’ll be back after a smoke.”

Ignoring him as he tried to stand up again, I walked away without hesitation. Fortunately, Choi Taegyeom didn’t follow me, and I quickened my pace. I ran into Kim Dohyun returning to his seat midway, but he didn’t stop me either.

I felt incredibly, utterly disgusted.

The drinking party ended a couple of hours later. Some students went home before the last train, but most of them kept pouring and drinking, saying they’d drink until the first train. Of course, Choi Taegyeom and I were among them.

“Are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine.”

Choi Taegyeom, whose face had turned red early on, surprisingly looked fine by the time the party broke up. His words weren’t slurred, and he didn’t stumble when he walked. He was on a different level from Park Sungjae, who was already drunk and repeating “Hyung, did I tell you? Congratulations on your discharge” about thirty times.

“Who wants to go for a third round!”

“Let’s go to karaoke, karaoke!”

“Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up…”

“Ah, crazy! You crazy bastard!”

The area near the bar was full of drunk students. Half were from our department, half from Choi Taegyeom’s. Among them were some of his classmates who had been diligently looking for him earlier, but Choi Taegyeom resolutely ignored them. At first, the guys who called out, “Choi Taegyeom! Aren’t you coming to the second round?” eventually turned back dejectedly when he just stared at them indifferently.

“Lee Yoonwoo, you’re having a hard time.”

Choi Taegyeom said with a hint of a smile in his voice as I took care of the drunk students. With his hands in his pockets, he calmly surveyed his surroundings, looking utterly peaceful.

“You really don’t have friends, do you? Aren’t those drunk kids from your department?”

“Why should I care? They’re adults, they’ll go home on their own.”

I spoke curtly on purpose, but Choi Taegyeom didn’t mind at all. I wish I had a personality like Choi Taegyeom’s, able to pretend not to notice, but unfortunately, I don’t have the guts to ignore what’s right in front of me and leave. Besides, I’m the only one sober among so many people, shouldn’t I at least take care of them?

“Senior, you didn’t drink, did you?”

No, correction. Among the freshmen, Kim Dohyun was the only other sober one.

“I don’t usually drink…”

“Hyung! Congratulations on your discharge!”

“Ugh, Park Sungjae, you bastard.”

Park Sungjae, visibly drunk, stumbled and grabbed my shoulder. This guy, who can’t hold his liquor, causes this trouble every time there’s a drinking party. He wasn’t particularly rowdy, but repeating the same words was one of the most annoying forms of drunken behavior.

“Hey, walk on two feet.”

Even bears walk on two legs, so why does Park Sungjae, who resembles one, try to walk on all fours? Could it be that he’s truly a bear and occasionally reverts to his four-legged habit?

Whether he knew of my serious contemplation or not, Park Sungjae hugged me tightly, repeating, “Hyung, congratulations on your discharge!” Should I just let him sleep on the street?

“Ah, I can’t breathe…!”

“You’re Kim Dohyun, right?”

While I was conflicted between loyalty to Park Sungjae and annoyance, Choi Taegyeom suddenly took Park Sungjae’s large body away. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he pushed Park Sungjae towards Kim Dohyun. Kim Dohyun, who instinctively supported Park Sungjae, looked at Choi Taegyeom with a surprised expression.

“You take him. Looks like you’re sober too.”

“…Huh?”

Kim Dohyun, with a bewildered expression, properly supported Park Sungjae. I hadn’t noticed while sitting, but he was tall, and his posture while supporting Park Sungjae looked much better than mine.

“Yeah, that’s right. You take him.”

I didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly nodded. Normally, I would take him, but today, with several things overlapping, I was too tired. Besides, Kim Dohyun had a share in that, didn’t he?

“Senior…”

“That’s what juniors do. Back in my day, we took all the seniors home before going home ourselves.”

Bullshit. I never went to drinking parties with seniors just to avoid being told to do that.

“It’s okay! I can go by myself!”

“Yeah, that’s what he says, so you just suffer a bit.”

Kim Dohyun looked troubled but couldn’t bring himself to push Park Sungjae away. Seeing him holding Park Sungjae tightly to prevent him from falling, it seemed he wouldn’t abandon him on the way home, at least. Perhaps he was just oblivious, not a bad person.

“Please, just this once. I’ll buy you a meal next time.”

I patted Kim Dohyun’s shoulder and put on my most pitiful expression. Park Sungjae’s house wasn’t far, but supporting him was difficult regardless. If he were smaller, I could carry him, but how could I lift and run with someone who weighed 20kg more than me? No, if Park Sungjae were just 10cm shorter, I would have considered it.

“…I’m going to eat something expensive.”

In the end, Kim Dohyun, who had no right to refuse, raised the white flag. A deep sigh escaped his lips.

“Okay, eat beef, beef.”

Of course, I intended to buy him a meal. Park Sungjae would probably pay for it, though.

“If you search his pockets, you’ll find his ID. Call if you can’t find the location.”

“I don’t have your number, Senior…”

“Search online. GPS is pretty good these days.”

It wasn’t me who cut off Kim Dohyun’s words. Choi Taegyeom stepped between Kim Dohyun and me and spoke firmly. Then he put an arm around my shoulder and waved his hand.

“Hurry up. He’s going to throw up.”

“…Huh? Ah, Senior, you can’t throw up, Senior!”

“Ugh, I’m fine… Ugh!”

“Then good luck, Dohyun. We’re leaving.”

I pretended not to notice Park Sungjae retching and walked away. Inwardly, I offered a sincere apology to the pale and flustered Kim Dohyun. Sorry, if you hadn’t mentioned the Omega thing, I would have taken him. Of course, those words wouldn’t reach Kim Dohyun.

“What about you?”

When the others were out of sight, I asked Choi Taegyeom, who still had his arm around my shoulder. Choi Taegyeom replied lightly without looking at me.

“We can just take a taxi together. Our houses are close.”

“…”

Thud, my steps halted. Choi Taegyeom, who was walking towards the taxi stand, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Why?”

“No…”

Now that I thought about it, he wouldn’t know. That I had gotten a studio apartment near the school after my discharge, or that it had already been a few months since I moved out of my parents’ house. So, of course, he would naturally suggest going home together.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Choi Taegyeom saw my subtly changing expression and bent down to meet my eye level. Under the streetlight, his face was filled with concern. I used to worry about him, but now he’s worrying about me. Haha, when I let out an awkward laugh, Choi Taegyeom’s expression turned ominous.

“You’re not…?”

Unnecessarily quick-witted bastard. As soon as he saw my expression, he seemed to understand what I wanted to say. So this time, I needed to confess before he asked.

“I live alone.”

Crinkle, his face crumpled. There was still more to crumple, I thought, a strangely calm thought for the situation.

“About four months now, I guess.”