"DON’T FOLLOW ME!"

Cho Euntak flinched, blinking slowly while watching Jeong Hyeri walk out— leaving him alone with Baek Jeho.

Okay, what just happened?

"Did Hyerin say anything weird to you, Euntak-ah?"

Cho Euntak knitted his eyebrows while looking at Baek Jeho. "Are you not going to follow your girlfriend?"

"She told me not to follow her."

"And you’re just letting her walk away without fixing this misunderstanding?"

"So, Hyerin did say something," Baek Jeho said, frowning. "What did she say to you?"

"Is that important right now?"

"Yes, it is very important to me."

Haaah.

"Fine— I’ll be honest, then," Cho Euntak said, already feeling tired. "Hyerin said you have feelings for me."

As expected, Baek Jeho looked surprised by his revelation. "I do?"

"Why are you asking me? It’s your heart— go and ask it." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Baek Jeho looked surprised by Cho Euntak’s rebuttal.

And, honestly, Cho Euntak was also surprised by his sass.

Is this because of Sohee Hyung’s influence?

"To be honest, I’d prefer it if you realize that you don’t have feelings for me, Baek Jeho."

"But why? I thought you liked me..."

"I do, and that’s why I’m gonna be really pissed if I find out that our feelings are mutual, but you’re just afraid to face your feelings because you don’t want to ruin our friendship," Cho Euntak said bluntly. "Guess what, Baek Jeho? Our friendship is already ruined. Whether you like me or not, we can’t go back to how we used to be."

Baek Jeho looked devastated, but he didn’t say anything.

Right.

This prick had always been like this.

"Yeah, just continue doing that, Baek Jeho," Cho Euntak said, disappointed. "Just keep your mouth shut forever and don’t bother me again."

***

"WELCOME back, Young Master."

Baek Jeho just nodded at the housekeepers’ greetings before asking: "How’s Eomma?"

The housekeepers obviously hesitated before answering his question.

It was Mrs. Cha, the head maid in her mid-fifties, who responded.

"The Madam is still in bed, Young Master."

"Is Eomma still sick?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Has Eomma eaten yet?"

"No, Young Master. The madam still refuses to eat anything."

"Can you prepare porridge for Eomma?" Baek Jeho asked politely. "I’ll personally bring it to Eomma and convince her to eat."

"We’ve already made porridge for the madam, sir," Mrs. Cha said, and then she turned to the younger housekeepers. "Prepare it and bring it to the young master."

"Yes, ma’am."

It didn’t take a while before the housekeepers brought a tray that had a bowl of porridge on it.

Baek Jeho didn’t waste time and immediately brought it to his mother.

His mother was an Omega who married his Alpha father because of an arranged marriage when the two were only 23 years old.

Their families forced them to get married as soon as they finished college.

For business’s sake, of course.

Twenty-one years later, his parents were still married.

At least, for now.

"Eomma, I brought you porridge."

His mother slowly opened her empty eyes and looked at Baek Jeho.

At least, his mother’s face lit up a bit after recognizing him.

"You’re home?"

Baek Jeho put the tray on the table, and then he helped his mother get up.

He put a pillow behind her back to make her more comfortable.

"You should eat, Eomma," Baek Jeho said gently. "I’ll feed you."

"I have no appetite, son."

"Please, Eomma."

"Alright," his mother finally gave in. "But just a little."

Baek Jeho quickly fed his mother before she changed her mind.

But his mother only had a few spoonsful of the porridge before she said she was full.

At least, she ate this time.

"Eomma, should I call our doctor?"

"I’d prefer it if you just call your father and talk to him."

Oh.

"Eomma, I’m sorry to say this, but it seems like Abeoji won’t change his mind about the divorce."

Yeah, that was the reason why his mother fell sick.

After 21 years of marriage, his father filed for a divorce.

But Eomma can’t accept it...

"Son, you think I’m pathetic, don’t you?"

"Eomma, why would you think?"

"Because I know that I’m being pathetic," his mother said, smiling bitterly. "Your father and I were best friends. We were born in the same year, and we were classmates from daycare to college. Our close friendship made our parents think that we were the perfect match for each other, especially my father. After all, your father is from a very wealthy family."

That was true.

But it wasn’t like his mother’s family was nothing compared to his father’s family.

"I didn’t hate the idea of my parents coveting your father to be their son-in-law. After all, I’ve always been in love with your father— and my parents knew that," his mother continued with the story that Baek Jeho had already heard many times. "That’s why when your grandfather was imprisoned for tax evasion and embezzlement, your grandmother made a deal with my parents. You know that my father was the President of the country at the time, right?"

Baek Jeho nodded.

Yes, my maternal grandfather was a former South Korean President. Most of my relatives from the mother side are politicians.

"My father agreed to give your grandfather a presidential pardon if Namjun married me," his mother said, letting out a hollow laugh. ’Namjun’ was Baek Namjun— Baek Jeho’s father. "At the time, your father and I made our own pledge. Our marriage would be strictly business. Your father wasn’t in a relationship back then, so he agreed to marry me. But he made me promise that we’d only stay married as long as he didn’t have a special someone yet. In return, I asked him to give me a child. I thought your father would have a hard time leaving me if we had a child, and that was why I asked for one."

Baek Jeho was neither hurt nor surprised.

After all, as he said earlier, he had already heard that story many times.

"I thought your father and I would stay together for the rest of our lives. After all, it had already been twenty-one years," his mother said bitterly between sobs. Then she covered her face with her hands when she started crying. "So why now?! Why did he have to meet that damn Alpha and fall in love with him?! I’m an Omega! Alphas should be with Omegas! I’d rather he cheated on me with a Beta!"

Baek Jeho knew that his mother was sprouting hurtful remarks towards Alphas, who were in a relationship with a fellow Alpha, but he couldn’t berate his mother. It wasn’t because he agreed with her— but how could he scold his mother, who was hurt by his Alpha father, who cheated on her with another Alpha?

Yes, his parents’ marriage was only an arranged marriage.

But cheating is still cheating— Abeoji should have divorced Eomma first before dating that Alpha.

Haaah.

Now Baek Jeho felt like a big hypocrite.

He just realized that he treated Jeong Hyerin like how his Alpha treated his mother.

I have a girlfriend, and yet I can’t stop thinking about Cho Euntak.

Even so, Baek Jeho still refused to see Cho Euntak as a romantic partner.

It wasn’t like he didn’t question his feelings for his best friend before.

He did.

And I didn’t like my conclusion.

Baek Jeho chose to play dumb, and he didn’t even want to think of the possibility of dating Cho Euntak just because he didn’t want to lose his best friend.

After all...

What if Cho Euntak ends up like my mother because I still can’t love him properly, even after twenty years?

***

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