Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 4.2

“Don’t worry, I’ll go. It’s fine.”

Though Eunhyun had been urging him to attend, Hyeon’s sudden agreement felt strangely out of character.

“Didn’t you just say you hadn’t signed up?”

“They’re insisting I attend because I’m the top student in the department.”

Top student? That’s a big deal. Eunhyun knew his brother was smart, but he hadn’t realized Hyeon had been admitted as the top-ranked student in business management—a fiercely competitive department at Korea University.

“Wow… You’re the department’s top student? Why didn’t you say anything? Congratulations!”

Awkwardly, Eunhyun offered his congratulations, only to be met with Hyeon’s suspicious squint.

“What’s our Hyung planning to do while I’m gone?”

“What? Nothing! I just want you to make friends, that’s all.”

“……”

Hyeon didn’t seem convinced, his gaze piercing through Eunhyun like a laser. Feeling the heat, Eunhyun averted his eyes and feigned nonchalance.

Although Eunhyun genuinely worried about his brother’s social life, Hyeon’s uncanny ability to sense Eunhyun’s desire for some alone time hadn’t failed him. For the rest of the day, Hyeon remained visibly annoyed, speaking to Eunhyun only when necessary.

Then, on the morning of his departure, Hyeon began whining again.

“Mom said Hyeon never went through a noticeable rebellious phase during adolescence….” Eunhyun thought with a sigh.

Hyeon’s mood swings were impossible to keep up with. Was he experiencing a late-onset adolescence?

Regardless, with Hyeon gone for a few days, Eunhyun finally had some breathing room—a chance to gather his thoughts and enjoy a bit of solitude. Feeling a tad lighter, Eunhyun hurriedly prepared for work.

A Lucky Day

Sometimes, there are days when everything just falls into place. Traffic lights turn green as you approach, the subway arrives the moment you step onto the platform, and even tossing an empty coffee cup into the trash results in a perfect shot.

For Eunhyun, today was one of those days.

Perhaps sending Hyeon off to the orientation had lifted a weight off his shoulders, making the day seem smoother than usual.

Work went unusually well, leaving him with some free time in the afternoon. While pretending to look busy, the company’s messenger app pinged with a new message.

[Suah Eun (Assistant Manager): Eunhyun, got a minute? LOL]

How did she know? Before he could decide on a reply, another message popped up.

[Suah Eun (Assistant Manager): Coffee break? Just us?]

[Jeong Eunhyun (Employee): Sure.]

Feigning a trip to the restroom, Eunhyun slipped out of the office. He followed Suah to the franchise café across the street, wondering what this unexpected one-on-one meeting was about.

‘Why is Assistant Manager Suah suddenly asking me for coffee?’

As a subordinate, Eunhyun couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Was this about something he’d done wrong? Or worse—was she planning to leave the company and giving him a heads-up?

After some small talk and trivial office gossip, Suah leaned closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Eunhyun, I heard something from HR. Is it true?”

“Pardon?”

“That you presented as an Omega?”

“Ah….”

“Don’t be shy! HR said I should know since we’re in the same team. It’s relevant, after all….”

She wasn’t wrong. With Alphas and Omegas experiencing cyclical ruts and heats, it was standard practice to inform the team to avoid misunderstandings or ensure proper scheduling for leaves.

“Yes… it’s true. I presented as an Omega.”

“Oh my, really? That explains it. Remember when I said you smelled faintly of perfume? I must’ve picked up on it then.”

“Ah….”

Eunhyun suddenly understood why his heightened sense of smell had been bothering him. It wasn’t perfume—it was pheromones.

“Wow, it’s kind of exciting to have another Omega on the team. There aren’t many of us, you know.”

Omegas only made up about 5% of the population, so it wasn’t surprising that Suah seemed thrilled.

“But… can I ask something personal? I don’t mean to pry, but I don’t sense any pheromones from you at all. That’s unusual.”

“Oh, um….”

It’s probably because I’m bonded to my younger brother, and we can only sense each other’s pheromones.

No, no. He could never say that. Eunhyun moistened his lips, stalling for time.

“I’m not sure. I’ll ask about it the next time I visit the doctor.”

“Good idea. We have to be extra mindful of our health. Betas only have to worry about their hormonal glands, but for us, pheromone glands add an extra layer of complexity.”

“Right….”

Eunhyun nodded, hiding his unease.

“Last year, I also went to the doctor thinking I had a thyroid problem, but it turned out that my pheromone levels were too low, not my thyroid hormones….”

Eunsoo talked for a while about what to look out for as an omega and shared information about suppressants. She even kindly recommended a few omega clinics she had visited. Eunhyun wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or uneasy about this newfound closeness with Eunsoo.

That evening, after leaving work on time, Eunhyun stopped by a convenience store for the first time in a long while to grab a can of beer before heading home.

When she opened the front door, a dark, cold living room greeted her. Yi Hyeon’s pheromones lingered faintly in the chilly air. Unconsciously breathing them in, Eunhyun flicked on the lights and switched on the heating, trying to shake off the strange sensation.

After changing into comfortable clothes, she set out some snacks and beer on the living room table. As she looked around, the house suddenly felt too quiet. Turning on the TV, Eunhyun leaned back against the bottom of the sofa and sipped her beer.

“I’m bored.”

Bored? The thought felt odd to her. Having been an only child until she was thirteen, Eunhyun was accustomed to entertaining herself.

What did I do when Yi Hyeon wasn’t around? She racked her brain but found her memories hazy. I was fine, wasn’t I?

…Ah, I used to hang out with Han Jinseo a lot.

Naturally, her mind conjured the image of Han Jinseo losing control and lunging at her. Since that day, the calls and texts from Jinseo, once frequent, had ceased completely. Eunhyun had no intention of reaching out, either. If things stayed this way, their friendship—once thought to last a lifetime—would inevitably fade away. How did it come to this?

“Ha… This is just ridiculous.”

Frustrated, Eunhyun gulped down the cold beer. Maybe she should’ve bought some soju to mix in. Jinseo loved somaek… Damn it, she thought about him again.

“Ugh, so annoying.”

With a sharp crunch, she crushed the empty beer can and tossed it aside. The thought that a flimsy can was the only thing she could vent her frustration on as a grown adult made her feel oddly pathetic. Her mood souring, she threw the can into the recycling bin and retreated to her room.

Lying on the bed, Eunhyun couldn’t shake the feeling that this year was cursed. First, she manifested as an omega. Then, she… imprinted. Imprinted… Ah.

Now that Yi Hyeon was gone, her head felt clearer. She grabbed her phone and quickly typed into the search bar:

“Imprint removal procedure.”

A deluge of information appeared—clinic advertisements, side effects, and cost estimates.

Eunhyun clicked on a review and skimmed through the first few lines. It was written by an omega who had been forcibly imprinted by an alpha.

“Forced imprinting. That’s just like me, isn’t it?”

The post detailed everything about the procedure: how to choose a clinic, the pre-procedure tests, the duration of the operation, and recovery timelines. As Eunhyun scrolled through, she paused on a comment exchange.

lililil22:

Can I ask how much it costs? I’m thinking about getting my imprint removed too….

20XX.12.29. 19:03

Lucy Lucy (blog owner):

It can vary depending on the test results, but in my case, it was about 10,500,000 won. If you choose specialized medical staff during the procedure, the cost increases. You should also account for post-procedure treatment options, medication costs, and even caregiver fees.

20XX.12.30. 21:20

“One, ten, one hundred, one thousand….”

Ten million won? Eunhyun’s eyes widened at the staggering amount.

“That’s so much more than I expected. No wonder they say imprinting isn’t something to take lightly… Shouldn’t the government support this? I bet there are lots of people suffering because of forced imprinting….”

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