IRLPLBIO Chapter 18 Part 1

As the clean-up of that day’s incident was somewhat finished, the midterm exam season approached.

Jae-gu felt nervous for the first time during an exam period. He was so anxious that he shook his leg, causing his desk to rattle. “You crazy bastard,” Joo Hae-jun cursed vividly as he climbed onto Jae-gu’s desk.

Han Seong-cheol, who had been absent from school for several days, finally showed up. They said he had become an Alpha, and indeed, his neat and polished face seemed to exude a certain aura. For Jae-gu, it was just a change that made him feel even more annoyed.

Han Seong-cheol, approaching with long strides, seemed to have lost some weight, and his jawline was more prominent. Strangely, Jae-gu saw a resemblance to Kwang-cheol in his face. For a moment, irritation aside, it was hard to tear his gaze away from the bastard’s face.

Kwang-cheol and Han Seong-cheol are cousins, so they might resemble each other a bit. But why, in his past life, when he had both of them so close, had he never even considered that?

The one who interrupted Jae-gu’s rather serious thoughts was Joo Hae-jun.

“That bas—!”

Joo Hae-jun shot up, making the desk rattle. His thoughts thus broken, Jae-gu firmly grabbed Joo Hae-jun’s arm.

‘You’re not trying to pick a fight with Han Seong-cheol, are you?’

Jae-gu, speaking with his eyebrows twitching, forcibly pulled Joo Hae-jun back down to sit.

Joo Hae-jun, who wasn’t even a good fighter, was fuming. He seemed to have completely forgotten that he had received money to keep quiet. He also seemed unaware that if he messed up, he’d have to spit back the money he’d just received.

Jae-gu used every muscle in his face to signal a warning. However, Joo Hae-jun misinterpreted Jae-gu’s worried expression.

“What’s wrong with your face? It’s twitching, man.”

“…Enough, you bastard.”

“Ah! I get it. You’re pissed off too, right? You’re trembling with rage.”

“I’m not.”

Jae-gu’s voice dropped a tone. Then Joo Hae-jun leaned his head towards Jae-gu and whispered secretively. He seemed to think he was lowering his voice, but it didn’t really help.

“Is it because you haven’t had a morning cigarette? You’re totally addicted to that.”

“I said I don’t smoke anymore.”

“Ah~ I get it, I get it, I’ll pretend you don’t smoke. I might even lend you one, keeping it a secret from Kwang-cheol.”

Joo Hae-jun even winked repeatedly. Jae-gu was dumbfounded by the sight of the guy’s facial muscles twitching, momentarily forgetting that he was making a huge number of incorrect assumptions. Joo Hae-jun, that bastard, must have swapped his legs for his sense of perception.

Han Seong-cheol approached the spot where the two were bickering. Since Han Seong-cheol’s seat was right next to Jae-gu’s, it was a natural move.

His long-legged, swaggering walk was already an eyesore, but then the bastard put down his bag at his seat and looked towards Jae-gu. Jae-gu disliked everything: his slanting stance, the way he tapped his own desk, and his frowning face.

Somehow, the closer he got, the more Jae-gu disliked him. Jae-gu’s expression immediately crumpled as if some foul energy was emanating from Han Seong-cheol.

Moreover, far from apologizing for his misdeeds, Han Seong-cheol spoke very confidently.

“You, stop carrying around that disgusting Alpha scent.”

“…Did you get shot in the head? What kind of bullshit is that?”

A sharper reaction than expected burst out. Even Han Seong-cheol, let alone Joo Hae-jun, flinched for a moment.

But Jae-gu didn’t think he had overreacted. It felt as if something unpleasant was mixing with his breath. Jae-gu involuntarily recoiled.

Han Seong-cheol knew when a person would react like Jae-gu was now. It was when they were wary of a stronger opponent suppressing them. An Omega to an Alpha, or an Alpha to an even stronger Alpha.

He didn’t think he was threatening Jae-gu. Jae-gu wasn’t the type to be threatened by him either. However, if an Omega showed reluctance first, it was proper for an Alpha to back down.

Alphas were, inevitably, weak to Omegas. Because the number of secondary gender individuals was so small, it was difficult to find a mate, so they had no choice but to be kind to everyone who had the potential to be one.

Occasionally, there were arrogant Alphas who didn’t need to do that. Han Seong-cheol thought he was precisely that case, but this time, he decided to back down. He even told himself it wasn’t because he was afraid of getting beaten up by an enraged Jae-gu.

“I won’t reveal that you’re an O… so you should get rid of that Alpha scent too. That scent annoys me. Since you also have that, we clash…”

It was his own kind of consideration, not to reveal Jae-gu’s secondary gender in front of all the students in the class, but it didn’t work on Jae-gu.

Jae-gu’s eyes flashed open. His upward-slanting eyes glinted fiercely.

“Didn’t your brother tell you?”

“What, what?”

At the mention of his brother, Han Seong-cheol flinched. When Jae-gu thrust his head forward, Han Seong-cheol’s body involuntarily took a step back. Memories of being overpowered and beaten by an Omega, whom he had always considered inferior, slowly resurfaced.

Even a wayward bastard like him must have some fear of his brother, right? Since Han Yun-cheol currently held the upper hand over Han Seong-cheol.

Thinking so, Jae-gu twisted his lips and sneered mockingly.

“Your high horse has been broken.”

Han Seong-cheol just blinked blankly. He felt like a fool for not understanding what Jae-gu meant. A moron who only knew how to use his fists couldn’t possibly have used complicated words…

“Don’t mess with me.”

Han Seong-cheol, with a blank look on his face, touched his own nose bridge, and it wasn’t until the teacher came in and told them to sit down that he stumbled back to his seat.

Before the exam began, OMR cards were distributed first for basic information to be filled in. By the time he wrote his name and checked the subject number, Han Seong-cheol realized what Jae-gu’s words meant.

It meant something like, “No matter how much you pretend to be high and mighty, someone better than you, Park Kwang-cheol, has appeared.” Joo Hae-jun, who realized this at almost the same time, deliberately let out a loud “Pfft!” from the front.

“Joo Hae-jun. Shut your mouth and write.”

“Yes, sorry.”

Although he said he was sorry, Joo Hae-jun glanced back, met eyes with Han Seong-cheol who was glaring at him, and stuck out his tongue playfully.

The incredibly childish method was quite effective. Han Seong-cheol’s face flushed crimson.