PARK EUNJI paced back and forth inside the empty classroom she’d slipped into. As soon as she’d gotten the call from the PD of Boys Odyssey, she’d walked out of the faculty office and found the nearest empty room. Afternoon classes had already ended, so most of the classrooms were empty. She was grateful for that. She didn’t want any students walking in and seeing her on the verge of crying.

She pressed her free hand against her forehead. A frustrated sound escaped her throat. She wanted to scream, but she bit down on her lip instead. Her legs felt weak, so she leaned against the nearest desk to steady herself. The image of Haneul lying in a hospital bed kept flashing in her mind. She pulled her hand away from her face and gripped the edge of the desk. The phone was still pressed to her ear. She was waiting for the PD to answer.

"If Haneul’s mother decides to let him stay in the hospital for a week to stabilize, then yes, he would have to drop out of the competition."

Eunji squeezed her eyes shut. She could still see the determined look on Haneul’s face when he’d told them he wanted to be an idol. He’d looked so sure, but underneath that, she’d caught the flicker of fear. He was probably afraid that she and Hyunwoo wouldn’t agree. It must have taken everything in him to say it out loud.

They hadn’t even known Haneul wanted to be an idol, let alone that he had any interest in music. But the moment he sang for them, she understood something. If they had said no, it would have driven a wedge between them. She could see it in his eyes. This was something he truly wanted. Not a passing whim, but a real dream. And she couldn’t bring herself to stand in the way of that.

So despite their worries, they let him join Boys Odyssey. Over the next few weeks, as they watched the episodes, they saw how hard Haneul was working. They saw how much he really wanted to debut. And they also saw how talented he was. He didn’t just have the drive. He had the skill to back it up.

And now something like this had happened. Someone had taken that dream and put it in danger. How could Eunji make a decision that could end it for him? So she asked, "Is there really no other option besides isolating him?"

The line went quiet, and the silence made her stomach clench. Then the PD spoke again, his voice hesitant. "There is another option, but I don’t think you’ll like it."

That made her frown. Whatever it was, if there was a way to keep Haneul from having to drop out, she wanted to hear it. "What is it?"

There was another pause before he answered. "He would need a temporary mark from a highly compatible Alpha."

Eunji’s ears started ringing the moment those words left the PD’s mouth. A temporary mark? From a compatible Alpha? Her grip on the phone tightened until her fingers ached. She knew what a temporary mark meant. It was an Alpha biting an Omega’s neck, just enough to leave a claim without it being permanent. It was intimate. It was invasive. And the thought of a stranger doing that to her son made her stomach turn.

"No," she bit out. "Absolutely not."

She heard a sigh from the other end. "Yes, I understand."

"Give me the address of the hospital where my son is," she said with a finality in her voice. "I’ll get there as fast as I can."

"I’ll send it to you," PD Song said. "Again, I’m sorry this happened. I promise you we’ll make sure the person responsible faces the consequences of their actions."

"I don’t need promises, I need actions."

Then she ended the call. Not even a few seconds later, a message came in with the hospital address. She immediately booked a flight to Jeju Island and found one leaving in an hour. If everything went smoothly, she would land in Jeju before the sun went down.

Eunji stepped out of the empty classroom. She needed to find the vice principal and ask for a week off. She also had to call Hyunwoo and tell him what had happened to their son.

She was about to dial her husband’s number when she spotted a few students walking her way. They looked like they had just finished club activities. They smiled at her and gave a small bow in greeting.

"Teacher Park, we’re cheering for Haneul," one student said with a bright smile. "We’ve been voting for him since day 1."

Another student nodded eagerly. "Yeah, we really want to see him debut."

Eunji forced herself to smile and thanked them. She clenched her fists to hide the trembling of her fingers. As she walked past them, her body shook. Her son had worked so hard. And now, because of someone else’s cruelty, he might have to leave it all behind. Her chest ached at the thought. But she still forced herself to finish dialing her husband’s number.

"Hello, Eunji?" Hyunwoo’s voice came through. "Did you need me to pick up some groceries?"

The moment she heard his voice, a tear slipped down Eunji’s cheek. Her voice cracked as she said something she hadn’t called him since they were dating. "Oppa..."

***

Song Kyungho leaned his head back against his chair. He’d expected as much. What good parent would let their Omega child be marked by some Alpha, even if it was only temporary? Still, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

He liked Haneul. He didn’t want to see him leave the show over something he had no control over. Especially not like this. But what else could he do?

He was about to call the staff member at the hospital when the door to his office suddenly opened. Baek Eunwoo stepped inside. Before Kyungho could ask what he was doing, Eunwoo spoke first.

"Sir, I’m sorry for eavesdropping on your call. But I think there’s a way to fix this without Haneul having to leave the show."