Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Ye Jun

I pushed open the front door still half-wrapped in Ohm’s stupid oversized sweatpants that kept sliding down my hips every two steps like they had a personal grudge against me, and the second the lock clicked shut my dad was already barreling down the hallway with this huge goofy grin plastered all over his face like I’d just handed him the keys to the whole damn world. He didn’t even give me time to kick off my shoes before he slapped me on the back so hard I nearly face-planted into the wall and started talking a mile a minute, voice all loud and proud like he’d won some bet he’d been waiting on for years.

“Ye Jun! There you are, finally! Look at you, kid, you actually did it, you listened to your old man for once and went for the right alpha. Ohm’s perfect, isn’t he? Loaded, stable, the kind of guy who’s gonna keep you comfortable for the rest of your life without you ever having to lift a finger if you don’t want to. I told you, didn’t I? These rich alphas know how to treat an omega right.”

He laughed that big belly laugh of his and pulled me into this awkward half-hug that smelled like his usual expensive cologne and coffee to show he had been working over night again. Mom just looked at him, rolled her eyes and shook her head and for a second I smirked.

I just stood there letting him squeeze me because honestly? It felt weirdly good. Like actually good. My stepdad had never looked at me like this before, not once in all the years well months he’d been stuck raising me after my real dad bailed, and now here he was acting like I’d just brought home the prize pony or whatever.

I squirmed out of the hug before it got too sappy and muttered, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, Dad. He’s not that big a deal, okay? We just hung out. Don’t start planning the wedding or anything stupid.” But my voice came out softer than I meant it to, and I could feel this stupid little warm spot in my chest growing because he kept looking at me like I’d finally done something right for once. He wasn’t even mad about me staying out all night; if anything he seemed thrilled, clapping his hands together and steering me toward the kitchen like we were about to have some big father-son chat over snacks.

He poured me a glass of juice without asking and slid it across the counter, still grinning. “Come on, don’t play it down. I saw the car drop you off this morning, that fancy one he drives. And you came home the next day looking all relaxed for once instead of like you’re about to bite someone’s head off. That’s progress, Ye Jun. Real progress. Ohm’s gonna help me and your mom expand everything, you know that? Territory all the way across Asia once we lock this alliance down. Hotels, clubs, the whole fashion network. He’s got the money and the connections, and you’re the one who’s gonna seal it. I’m proud of you, kid. Really proud.”

I took a big gulp of the juice just to have something to do with my hands because my throat felt tight all of a sudden and I didn’t want him seeing me get all weird about it. Proud. He said it like it was nothing, but it landed in my gut like a punch I actually wanted to feel. My stepdad had spent this short period of my life treating me like the annoying leftover kid he got stuck with after marrying Mom, always comparing me to Si woo or complaining about my attitude even though he never complained directly to me, and now he was standing there beaming like I’d hung the moon just because I spent one night at Ohm’s place and didn’t come home smelling like regret. It was pathetic how much I liked it, how much I wanted to soak it in even while I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.

“Where’s Lisa anyway?” I asked, changing the subject fast before I did something dumb like hug him back or whatever. “She was supposed to be here when I left yesterday.”

Dad waved it off like it was no big deal and grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl, peeling it while he talked. “Si Woo already took her home last night. Said she was tired after the whole thing at the club, so he drove her back himself. You know how he is, always looking out for her. Anyway, doesn’t matter. Focus on you and Ohm. That’s the real ticket here.”

I nodded without really thinking, muttering, “Yeah, fine, whatever. Si Woo took her, cool. I’m not worried about it.” But inside my head was spinning a little because I hadn’t even realized how late it had gotten or that Lisa had bounced already, but I wasn’t about to admit that out loud. Dad kept going on about how Ohm was gonna change everything for the family, how this was the smartest move I’d ever made, and I just let him talk because arguing would’ve ruined the weird warm feeling I had going. I told him straight up though, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms, “Look, don’t expect anything much from me, okay? It’s not like we’re suddenly mated for life or whatever. We’re just… figuring stuff out. Don’t get your hopes up too high.”

He laughed again and ruffled my hair like I was still ten years old. “Sure, sure, play it cool. But I see it on your face, kid. You’re happy. And that makes me happy. Now go upstairs and get some rest, you look like you could use it after whatever you two were up to all night.” He winked and I flipped him off on my way out, but I was smiling the whole time I climbed the stairs because yeah, low-key? I was happy. My stepdad had never been proud of me like this, not for school, not for anything I’d tried to do on my own, and now here he was acting like I’d single-handedly saved the family business just by not screwing up with Ohm. It felt good.

Too good. Like maybe for once I wasn’t the screw-up son who kept running away from everything.

I got to my room, shut the door behind me, and flopped face-first onto the bed without even bothering to change out of Ohm’s sweatpants. The pillow still smelled a little like my own shampoo mixed with the faint leftover scent from his car, and I buried my face in it and yelled, loud and muffled and stupid, “God, why does everything have to feel like this? I just wish we could be together for real, like actually together, not this practice crap or whatever the hell we’re doing. He’s so annoyingly nice and I hate how much I want it to stick.”

I punched the mattress a couple times for good measure, laughing at myself because it was ridiculous, me lying here yelling into a pillow like some lovesick idiot after one night of not even having sex, but it was the happiest I’d felt in forever and I didn’t want to let it go yet. My chest felt light, like all the usual weight from Si Woo and the tattoo and my dad’s expectations had taken a five-minute vacation, and I just lay there grinning into the fabric wishing Ohm would text me something dumb right now so I could snap back at him and feel that spark again.

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