Clap - 9

Ihyun pressed Jaemin down with a stern voice. It was a completely different atmosphere from his usual smiling face. It felt like he would slap him if he moved recklessly.

Jaemin’s lips stuck together tightly. The silence was so uncomfortable that it stretched on for a long time. Jaemin, who had swallowed dry saliva, gently raised the leg he had lowered under the bed. Then he covered himself with the blanket.

I won’t go anywhere. I won’t do anything. That was the intention behind his actions. Then Ihyun gently pulled the corners of his mouth as if to ask when he had stiffened his expression.

“Shall we eat now? It’s time to eat.”

Ihyun blew on a spoonful of porridge. The white steam wavered like a flag and tickled Jaemin’s nose. It smelled savory. His stomach growled, and his stomach, like a drum, unexpectedly grumbled without warning.

Jaemin obediently accepted the porridge Ihyun fed him. He didn’t know what was going on, but for now, he thought he should fill his stomach.

“Jaemin, do you want to hear an interesting story?”

Ihyun asked, offering a glass. It was hard to deny, even though his usual smiling face was now unsettling.

“…Yes.”

Reluctantly, Jaemin nodded. Ihyun was big. Of course, his hands were big, and his wrists were thick. Even the thick arms that peeked out from under the light sweater were sturdy. It seemed like he would collapse if he were hit once.

“Alphas can forcibly manifest omegas. It’s rare, but not unheard of.”

Ihyun’s ‘story’ had no clear beginning or end. It was more like conveying information. However, the issue was that the information seemed completely unrelated to Jaemin’s current situation. Moreover, alphas and omegas were topics that had nothing to do with Jaemin.

“An omega manifested in this way can only recognize the scent of the alpha who manifested them for the rest of their life.”

“Then, what about the alpha who manifested that omega?”

“Alphas also lose something corresponding to that. You could say they gain something.”

“What is it?”

Still, it was an intriguing story. Ihyun’s eyes softened as Jaemin’s questions continued one after another.

“Love.”

“…What?”

“Alphas are said to love that omega for a lifetime. Isn’t it romantic? They receive the love that God bestows at the moment of manifestation.”

Jaemin’s eyelashes shot up. Love. Coming from someone who seemed more rational than anyone in the world, a love that wouldn’t believe in anything unless it was backed by statistics or logic.

“Is that… really a thing?”

Jaemin looked at Ihyun with a skeptical gaze. Ihyun lightly nodded his head.

“Yes, it is. It’s scientifically proven. I’m a doctor. I wouldn’t tell you something untrue.”

Alphas and omegas were intertwined with many things that were hard to explain with common sense. Loving in a way that was distinctly different from regular men and women was also understood. Jaemin, who was mostly ignorant of most knowledge despite learning it since elementary school, knew this fact well.

However, the information Ihyun was sharing now was something Jaemin had never heard before. Honestly, Jaemin didn’t know much about manifestation. So, although he felt suspicious, he couldn’t present a logical argument against it.

“Isn’t it cool? An omega untouched by anyone else. My created omega. My omega that no one can surpass.”

Ihyun spoke with anticipation, like a child dreaming of a unicorn. Filled with sincerity, Jaemin could only listen.

“But usually, omegas manifest around fifteen. At the latest, they manifest around twenty.”

“…”

“But we haven’t lost our minds to the point of being attracted to minors. We haven’t even tried.”

“What, what do you mean? Forcibly manifesting them?”