Chapter 37

Jun Shin’s parents divorced.

He was fourteen years old.

They were people who screamed at each other every other day and got into physical fights regularly. He had sensed it coming long ago, so rather than shock, his first thought was that they had lasted longer than expected.

The main reason for the divorce was his father’s obsession with Omegas. Jun couldn’t understand how a man who lost his mind over any Omega, dominant or recessive, had somehow ended up marrying his mother, another Alpha.

Whether there had ever been romance between them no longer mattered. In the end, his mother had finally decided to throw out the piece of garbage that couldn’t even be recycled.

The unfortunate part was that she hadn’t managed to stay ruthless until the very end.

“That piece of human trash. He’s not even human.”

She divorced without receiving a single cent in alimony.

You should’ve hired an investigator earlier.

There must have been endless evidence of affairs, yet his mother never managed to take proper action.

By then she had already exhausted herself completely, burned until there was nothing left, and she constantly clung to Jun Shin while lamenting her life.

“If it weren’t for you... If it weren’t for you, I would’ve left that bastard ages ago. I would’ve divorced him immediately.”

Dragged down by guilt, Jun Shin chose his mother. He couldn’t bring himself to say he wanted to follow his father instead.

The situation was sharply divided into black and white, light and dark. Even if it was hypocrisy, he couldn’t choose the person who caused all of this.

His father, who ran a small company, faithfully sent child support for about six months after the divorce. But gradually the money that used to arrive monthly became every other month, then once a season.

Eventually it stopped completely.

“Jun... try contacting him, okay? We have to survive somehow.”

“I’ve tried. He doesn’t answer.”

“Keep trying until he does... We need to live. We have to survive. Otherwise we’ll die. Okay?”

Around that time, his father had probably found another Omega. He became impossible to contact.

Even though he used to answer Jun Shin’s calls no matter what he was doing, it didn’t even last a year. As though blood ties meant nothing, Jun Shin was cut off entirely.

He needed money.

He needed it to survive.

“Hey, student, do you have a minute? Your face is incredible. Have you heard of LM Entertainment?”

He got scouted on the street.

It wasn’t coincidence.

A year after his parents’ divorce, regardless of the situation surrounding him, Jun Shin’s secondary gender traits developed steadily. At the same time, his dominant Alpha traits manifested.

His already handsome features only became sharper with time. By fifteen, he had passed 180 centimeters tall and earned the label of a heartthrob. Word spread quickly, and Jun Shin soon became locally famous.

Jun himself couldn’t have cared less, but the people around him wouldn’t leave him alone. There were endless people trying to approach him to benefit from his looks or simply speak to him once.

Around then, one classmate obsessed with gaining social media followers grabbed Jun Shin and uploaded a video of him.

It was a crude edit stitched together from clips of Jun looking over when his name was called, pulling off a sweat-soaked T-shirt after playing soccer on the field, and secretly asleep during class.

The video became a massive hit.

The views exploded instantly.

After landing on the trending videos list, it spread everywhere with different dubbed audio added over it repeatedly.

Across the thumbnail, huge letters read:

Middle schooler physique that devours idols alive

⤷ Student, be careful not to get kidnapped by L Entertainment ^^

⤷ Nah I’m voting for R Entertainment

⤷ Damn his face totally screams LM lol

What had started as joking comments became reality.

“Take this business card home and show your parents, okay?”

Jun Shin had absolutely no interest in the entertainment industry or idols.

Dancing and singing in front of people felt like something done by people desperate to show themselves off.

“Our LM really wants to sign you, Jun Shin. Someone with your potential will definitely attract offers from other agencies too, and we don’t want to lose you.”

But he needed money.

“So we’d like to specially offer you a signing bonus.”

He only needed the money.

***

The evaluation results after joining the company were unexpectedly outstanding.

There was no need to even discuss the camera test. He passed easily.

Since he had always been good at anything physical, he picked up dancing quickly too. The act of dancing itself wasn’t bad either. When he moved until sweat poured off him and his entire body gave out while practicing choreography, all distracting thoughts disappeared.

Jun Shin quickly became captivated by dancing.

His singing ability was terrible. Still, he was told his low voice had charm and could improve with vocal training.

Even then, Jun Shin still didn’t fully understand what exactly he was doing.

It felt like his feet were floating in midair.

He simply swallowed whatever came his way and endured each day for the sake of repaying the mother who had sacrificed herself for him.

“Gyeol, say hello.”

Then he met Gyeol Go.

“His name is Jun Shin. He’s your age.”

Gentle round eyes quietly looked up at Jun Shin.

Although Gyeol had already spent seven years as an LM trainee, he carried a strangely mature atmosphere despite his youthful appearance.

He was pretty.

His eyes, nose, lips.

The lines shaping his face, even the tips of his fingers and toes.

There wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t beautiful.

That was all.

Gyeol was prettier than any kid Jun Shin had ever seen, but beyond that, he initially felt nothing more.

An entertainment trainee. Of course he’d look different from ordinary people.

Jun was about to dismiss their first meeting as insignificant.

Then—

“There’s a high chance the two of you will debut together.”

At the CEO’s words, ripples spread briefly across Gyeol’s face.

It resembled sunlight scattering violently across water at sunset.

His eyes sparkled instantly.

A flower-like flush bloomed over his tightly pressed lips.

His face lit up.

His curled fist tightened.

Something strangely unstable overlapped with desperate anticipation.

And in that moment, Jun Shin realized it.

This kid standing tall while pretending to be composed was enduring countless things too, just like him.

He carried the same shadows unique to children dragged through life far too early.

“Nice to meet you, Gyeol.”

You’re like me.

“...Me too. Take care of me.”

Their hands touched.

Clasped.

Locked tightly together.

A sharp electric sensation ran through his palm.

Jun Shin could feel the fierce pounding pulse vibrating where their skin met.

It felt as though the feet floating in midair were finally being pulled down to the ground.

As though he had finally planted himself firmly on earth and was now standing fully before Gyeol Go.

That was when it began.

The moment Jun Shin started liking Gyeol.

***

It didn’t take long for him to understand the reason behind the sense of kinship he felt toward Gyeol.

The trainees paid unusual attention to Gyeol. Kids gathered together to become stars constantly competed with one another, and even among a sea of similarly talented people, there were always a few who stood out.

Gyeol was one of those people.

His unfortunate family background was practically public property among the trainees.

The fact that he was an orphan.

The fact that he had an Omega older brother who slept around recklessly with Alphas.

The fact that Gyeol had essentially been sold off to the agency.

This story sounds familiar.

It was disgusting.

Jun didn’t know whether the rumors were true, but by then, that part no longer mattered.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

“What the—”

“Bark bark bark! WOOF!”

The day Jun Shin became a complete mad dog and harassed the people tormenting Gyeol all day long, he was actually summoned to the CEO’s office and severely scolded after receiving a warning.

“The one kid who seemed normal is getting weirder every day. Seriously.”

The CEO clicked his tongue, saying he couldn’t understand Jun Shin’s increasingly bizarre behavior lately.

Jun stood silently with lowered eyes, staring only at his shoes.

Not even a fake apology came out.

Because he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“The person you’ve been hanging around lately is... hmm.”

The CEO hesitated for a long moment, looking like he wanted to say something.

Fucking bastards. They talked about Gyeol.

Of course they would. Dragging down Gyeol too while complaining about Jun Shin was the perfect opportunity for them.

Unlike Gyeol, who was kind enough to practically qualify as a pushover, Jun Shin was sharp and calculating. He knew every one of those bastards came from wealthy families. He also knew they poured money into LM as “investments” and that their parents had various connections with the CEO and board members.

“Sir.”

Even so, Jun Shin spoke first.

For trainees struggling to stand near the edge of debut, the head of a major entertainment company was practically heaven itself. A god.

Jun Shin didn’t care.

“You’re the one who brought Gyeol to LM.”

“What are you trying to say, kid?”

“You brought him here when he was eight. That basically makes you his guardian.”

The CEO narrowed his eyes before leaning back in his chair as though inviting him to continue.

“Do you know the things the other trainees say about Gyeol?”

At sixteen, Jun Shin boldly lifted his head and met the CEO’s gaze directly.

“If you won’t protect him, then I will. Gyeol.”

The CEO burst into loud laughter.

At the time, CEO Jo of LM was in the middle of assembling a new boy group for the SAVE ME debut project.

He had already narrowed down several candidates and was making final decisions.

That moment was when Jun Shin and Gyeol Go were officially added to the lineup in his mind.

“Then let’s see you do it.”

With that amused response, the CEO finished with a light scolding. Looking back, it was fortunate he had found the reckless passion of a teenager entertaining.

“I got a warning.”

After leaving the CEO’s office, Jun Shin shamelessly whined to Gyeol.

He didn’t explain the details.

He didn’t want Gyeol’s head to hurt because of it.

“Jun Shin... aren’t you seriously insane?”

Seeing that pretty face laugh helplessly made everything feel okay.

The unstable days.

The exhaustion from endless competition.

All of it.

As long as I can keep seeing your face.

As long as I can stay beside you.

***

It was winter, their breaths turning white in the air.

Without even properly putting on outerwear, Jun Shin sprinted out of the practice room frantically.

Before he realized it, snow had started falling softly from the sky.

The temperature had dropped below freezing. The park battered by cutting winds was nearly empty.

After running through the snowstorm, Jun finally reached the playground.

He saw Gyeol sitting alone on a swing.

The face he hadn’t seen in days looked gaunt.

Four days earlier, Gyeol had stood pale-faced and said his older brother had called him home.

For four entire days, Gyeol hadn’t contacted anyone once.

Jun Shin had spent those nights unable to sleep, consumed by anxiety.

What if Gyeol never comes back?

What if I end up alone again?

My debut is you.

“Gyeol!”

By the time his breath reached his throat, Jun Shin practically threw himself forward and wrapped Gyeol in a fierce embrace.

“Hey, you... why did you come out dressed like this? Where’s your coat? It’s freezing. You’ll catch a cold.”

Even looking half-starved, Gyeol worried only about Jun Shin being cold.

Jun shook his head over and over before burying his face against Gyeol’s neck.

“Hey, Jun Shin. Wait a second. Seriously...”

“We’re debuting.”

The instant he said it aloud, something clogged painfully in his throat.

It was an emotion he had never even realized existed inside him.

Maybe he had deliberately acted detached all this time.

Like someone who never became attached to temporary things.

Like someone who could let anything go at any moment.

“What?”

“We’re debuting. They even set the date.”

But now he no longer had to force himself to kill his hopes.

“Really...?”

“It’s true. Really.”

Gyeol’s voice trembled near his ear.

Jun’s own voice shook violently too.

He couldn’t tell whether his body was trembling from the cold or because his voice was collapsing into tears.

“So, Gyeol. Stay with me. Don’t go anywhere. Stay with me no matter what.”

He realized there was now something he couldn’t let go of.

“...At least let go of me first.”

“Hm? Stay with me forever.”

When Jun finally loosened his grip slightly, Gyeol struggled free enough to look at him properly.

Jun’s face was already soaked with tears.

His vision swayed darkly like a shadow.

The entire world blurred like the darkness both of them had carried inside themselves—

yet the person before him alone remained painfully clear.

“I have something to tell you.”

He had reached the limit where he could no longer endure keeping his emotions buried.

Taking a deep breath, Jun Shin finally decided to confess the feelings he had hidden for so long.

“I...”

Gyeol’s cold hands suddenly cupped both of his cheeks.

The icy touch against his overheated skin made Jun’s heart ache unbearably.

Then Gyeol kissed him.

It felt as though time stopped.

Even the falling snow drifted slower.

Gyeol’s lips were cold.

Rough.

After pulling away, Gyeol looked directly into Jun’s eyes from close enough to share breath and whispered softly—

“I like you too.”