It's a flashback to five year old Kim Shin.
Job Offer: 5-year-old Male Dominant Alpha Care Teacher
Master’s degree or higher in education at top universities in Seoul
A person who has a high understanding of alpha (Is an Alpha or has an Alpha in family)
Three years of experience in the relevant profession
A patient person who doesn't easily get angry
Neat Appearance
The conditions for the job offer that caught Yeonjung’s eyes were quite tricky. However the pay was so good. So even though she doesn't completely fit all the requirements, she still applied for the job. She did that just for the pay. Let’s set the resume first. At the time, she was in a hurry to get a job, so she put everything in even if she didn't fit the qualification, and later forgot she had ever sent her resume to that place.
However, a month later, she received a call to interview. Only then did she begin to panic. Her degree is a bachelor's degree, and her connection to Alpha is only her ex-husband. Even the university that she graduated from doesn't have a high ranking so she did not see many Alphas in the school. The only condition that she is suitable for is 3 years of experience or more with a level that is praised by many around.
However, she also cannot be confident because those experiences have been dusted in the last few years.Why the hell would they call me? She reluctantly accepted the interview, and there, she found out why she was invited. The previous person in charge suddenly quit, so she herself was only a temporary job to replace until she found a suitable person. Even so, the salary was so high that she nodded her head, saying that even if it was only for a month or two, she would do it.
“The student you have to take on is a dominant Alpha who is quite intelligent. Docile, obedient, and has never caused big trouble so it is easy to take care of. However, there are also some rare moments. There will be times when he gets so stubborn, so you can let him do whatever he wants.”
The job seemed very easy just by hearing it from manager Hong* in the office. So she couldn’t help but doubt it. Why did the previous teacher suddenly quit when the conditions were that good?
“However, there is one thing to keep in mind. After this, you must keep absolutely secret what you have heard and seen in the process of working here, not letting anything out. Security and secrets are the most important things in this job. Please pay attention to it.”
Manager Hong presented a document related to the job. The do's and don'ts are presented in great detail, so the content is longer than only the terms of the employment contract. From not allowing audio and video recording while working, to not anonymously posting what you see at work, and to not telling everyone you know.
There was also a creepy warning that if what happened in the house was leaked, it would be tracked to the end and if you get caught as the criminal, they will charge a huge amount of damage. And there are also mandatory provisions not to say which family we worked for or who we saw here, as if they had everything covered in advance.
Although the warning was scary, when it came to discipline, Yeonjung was confident that she would comply better than anyone, so she thought it would be fine. However, on the other hand, she was also unsettled by her shyness. Yeonjung gulped, trying to read all the content. When she realized that manager Hong was waiting for her, she quickly raised her eyes.
"Is there anything else I need to be careful of?"
Manager Hong's gaze softened at her tense question.
"Do you think you can do the work?"
Her personality is not inherently gossiping about other people's business, so it shouldn't be difficult. Above all, the salary is high. Yeonjung nodded, then manager Hong immediately told her another condition.
"Please also refrain from friendship-building words and actions with the student."
She didn't quite understand the condition this time. Manager Hong briefly lowered his eyes as if this was inexplicable, then immediately added quietly.
"Due to circumstances, the student is living with his biological mother, but unfortunately, there is no dominant Alpha in this family. However, the father's side wants the student to have the pride of a dominant Alpha and become a dominant Alpha. Because legally, if the parent is an Alpha dominant, even without custody of the child, they still have the right to largely participate in the education if the child is an Alpha. Therefore, at the request of the dominant Alpha father, those who are not dominant Alpha were forbidden to only be acquainted with the student."
Yeonjung was momentarily stunned. Isn't the kid I'm about to take on just 5 years old? Isn't that the age where kids get very lovely? But she wasn't a dominant Alpha, so she didn't even have the right to say friendly words to the kid. Although it is her duty to care for and love the kid, conditions do not allow her to do so. This made her feel strange.
Before she felt her self-esteem hurt, she was amazed at the discrimination she witnessed for the first time. It turns out that the dominant Alpha is a different world than the Alpha. She knew Alpha's superiority, but didn't know that the dominant Alpha had a sense of privilege to this extent. Normally, she wouldn't have had much of a chance to see the dominant Alpha, and even if she did, it wouldn't be her turn to care as she could only watch from afar.
"So as decided at the time of the calling, you can do it from today, right?"
Yeonjung nodded in confusion. Then, Manager Hong gave her a tag in the form of a strap.
"Teacher, you can put it around your neck. There's a switch on the front, when you're with the student, you bring it and turn it on."
"What is this?"
"It's a tape recorder."
…Ah. Manager Hong handed another paper file into the bewildered Yeonjung's hand.
"You will hand in the recorder before leaving work and the recording content will be checked every day. And this is the student's schedule that you take. Now the student is having PE class outside, you can go directly there. The driver will guide you."
“...Alright.”
"The schedule will be quite hectic. Can you come with me?"
Ah, okay. Yeonjung followed in the footsteps of Manager Hong, hurriedly asked.
"Ah, am I allowed to call the student by his name?"
They suddenly stopped walking. Manager Hong hesitated for a moment, then soon nodded. Seeing some hesitation about the permission, Yeonjung suddenly wondered if she should add the master's name to the name, and confirmed the student's name in the document.
'Kim Shin'.
---
The massive and magnificent mansion had never been seen on TV, she still couldn't get used to it even after a few days, but it was enough to roughly recognize the situation of this house. First of all, she learned that her predecessor was fired for breach of confidentiality. The predecessor was an Alpha male, and he spread rumors about the student's mother.
The only Omega daughter of a famous Beta, The Chairman Roh(노 in Korean). Although the daughter married to the young master of a famous Alpha family, after a short marriage, she divorced and is currently living with her parents. However, her virtue seems to have become a topic of conversation among the upper classes. It is said that the people in the dominant Alpha society have long been displeased with this Chairman Roh.
They probably hate the fact that a Beta can be more successful than themselves with a huge fortune. So one day, when his daughter got married to a dominant Alpha, everyone didn't even bother to hide their sneer, and started digging through her every smallest act as if they were waiting for her. Maybe that's why she became more and more deviant and became different as if she wanted to show others.
‘You can think of it as being cursed at by people around you just because you're breathing. Sigh, It’s weird to say it’s not crazy’.
Someone signed and briefly explained. Even Yeonjung feels sorry for the mother, but this fear grows stronger just by seeing how the mother’s been consumed by alcohol and drugs. No matter how tired you are, you have to wake up and take care of your little kid. Of course, there are many people in the house besides Yeonjung taking care of the kid. But she was sure those concerns were still far from the loving heart of his biological mother. To her concern, everyone shook their heads without hesitation.
'What a smart kid Shinie is.'
'There must be something different about the dominant Alpha. Even though he's just a child, he looks much more mature than us.'
Everyone mercilessly praised the child. But their compliments only shocked Yeonjung. In her experience, maturity is not a desirable trait in a child. If it's an innate inclination, that's commendable, but if it's the circumstances that have caused the child to grow up, that's a big problem.
In fact, the kid was exactly what he was praised for, obediently obedient, not difficult and his ability to concentrate was also so good that it was not like a child would have. If she hadn't seen the kid play with the assembled toys like other children his age, she wouldn't have believed that he was only 5 years old. The kid has a whole collection, he especially likes to assemble stereoscopic blocks. However, as soon as he was told it was time to stop playing his favorite jigsaw puzzle, the kid would let go of his hand and stand up immediately.
Every kid Yeonjung knows had to be mentioned several times before they stopped playing. So this point is both surprising and worrisome. It seems that this 5-year-old kid knows how to control his greed. Has the dominant alpha really been like this since childhood? Yeonjung also started to get confused.
But not long after, she finally saw the stubbornness of the kid. One morning, the kid suddenly had a fever. It was only a mild fever, so the kid was told to lie down a little longer, but the kid did not listen at first.
'You have to get up right away so you won't be late for dinner.'
The kid tried to complete all the scheduled schedules like an obsessive compulsion. It is worth mentioning that, even if you can't complete the schedule, no one will scold you. Right from the start, it was an overwhelming schedule for a 5 year old. The kid must be tired too, so why insist on doing it all? After all, why? A few weeks after starting work, Yeonjung vaguely realized the reason.
Once a month, the day the boy met his father. A tall and handsome Alpha dominant, his seemingly cold personality looks unfriendly to the kid. However, from a distance, she saw the man patting the kidhead, continuing to talk and not seeming like a bad father. When it was time to take the kid home, she could hear the man's voice as he crouched in front of his son.
"If you're too tired, you can always come to me."
The kid shook his head.
"I'm not tired."
The father silently looked at the kid and asked.
"Your Mother is taking care of you, right?"
'Yes,' the kid nodded again. Yeonjung realized this kid had lied more than once or twice. Because the kid’s mother never took care of him. After saying goodbye like that, the next day, the kid’s schedule changed slightly. Study time has increased.
"The time to study is already too much. If it takes longer, won't it be too difficult for the kid?"
"It was requested by the kid’s father, teacher."
An answer beyond Yeonjung's imagination, she was dumbfounded and speechless. Why would he ask like that? And suddenly, she remembered the words the father had said to the kid yesterday. If you are tired, come to my father's place at any time. And the kid replied that he was not tired. No way… maybe that’s because the father wanted to make it harder for the kid… Ah, There is no way. Yeonjung then gulped, asked manager Hong with strained eyes.
"Does his father want to take him away?"
"Yes, he is the father of the child."
"Because the child is a dominant Alpha?"
Manager Hong hesitated for a moment, then immediately responded with a professional attitude at the office.
"The professor (Shin’s father) is a good father. Of course, the kid is the dominant Alpha so he's even more concerned."
Yeonjung hastily apologized when she realized that she had asked too much of a question.
"My apologies, I didn’t mean to say he's a bad father... Yesterday, I also saw that he was very nice and affectionate to the kid. Just, um."
Yeonjung stopped talking, momentarily unsure of which of the questions to ask in her mind right now. No matter what she thought about it, it was absurd, this world wasn't created by a dominant Alpha.
"Even if custody has been decided according to the law, if the kid is a dominant Alpha, does he have the right to choose the parents to raise him?"
Manager Hong this time did not respond immediately. But his eyes were no different than usual.
“Yes, the kid has a choice. Custody will change if the Alpha dominant child wishes. Of course, only if the changing parent is eligible for the condition."
"What's the condition?"
“It's a Dominant Alpha case.”
Dominant Alpha again. Of course, everything is Dominant Alpha first. Even if custody is obtained by the mother, the significance of the Alpha dominant child takes precedence. If that's the case, what if some parents want to take advantage of children's minds? Like this kid's father, what if he really increased his study time to change his son's mind?
"Can't we just let the kid rest more? If you let him rest without making a sound, the recording won't work..."
"Thank you for your concern, Teacher. But if the kid feels too tired, Shinie will talk about it first. Because Shinie is a smart kid."
A smart kid. The compliment she had repeatedly heard until now has never been more touching than it is now. Then Yeonjung realized. The kid knows everything. He knows that his dad is trying to take him away. So the kid’s will is to be by his mother's side?
For Yeonjung, this conclusion was a bit unexpected. Because in all the time she worked here, the kid never once said he wanted to meet the mother who did not take care of her children. Who knows, maybe the kid is shouting what he wants through his willingness to take on the heavy schedule. Because he wanted to be with his mother.
She felt so sorry for him. You’re only a five year old kid, you don’t have to do that much. She wanted to let him know that he can get what he wants by just some flogging.
Moreover, she was also blinded by the towering salary transferred into her account. Just by following the child and watching, this much money has been made. Will she be able to ignore all this anxiety and guilt? She hated herself for having to compromise with reality and felt ashamed of herself, but one beer had washed everything down her throat. Well, it's the dominant Alpha. Maybe things are just different from beta.
About a week after the day when Yeonjung tried to suppress all feelings of self-blame with beer, that day, the kid's mother rarely came to her senses and sat next to her son. But even when she was awake, her face was still swollen and her eyes were cloudy.
Even so, she still tries to wake herself up by taking a sip of bitter coffee to spend more time with her son. Yeonjung was relieved by her efforts and watched the kid, but the 5-year-old was like an adult, eating his portion without saying a word as usual.
Moreover, no matter how many times the mother spoke, the kid did not open his mouth to say anything other than ‘yes, yes’. Because of that, the mother who tried to start a conversation a few times immediately gave up and was about to get up from her seat. Even though Yeonjung knew she wasn't allowed to stand out right now, she almost said 'Please stay a little longer.' to her. It's just that someone held her back first.
“Mom.”
A young voice called her. The mother, who was about to stand up, smiled and looked at her son.
“What is it, my son?”
The child put down his chopstick and looked straight at his mother.
“Why do you only do things that Dad hates?"
The kid's question was so unexpected that Yeonjung awkwardly turned her eyes to her mother. The smile slowly disappeared from her face. After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth.
“Why is it, because your mom is a greedy person.”
The child stared her as if he did not understand what the words meant, but then his mother smiled again. However, this smile was more like sadness than joy.
"I want your father to love me very much, love more than anything no matter what. But you can't tell it with only some words, right? Love is about being by your side even when you’re having a hard time. So... I tested your father. Let's see, even if I do the things your dad hates, will your dad still love and appreciate me. However.”
She looked down at the kid, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"Your father doesn't love your mom anymore."
The kid didn't say a word. The mother patted the kid’s head again and leaned back in her chair, muttering.
“If he really loves me, he has to understand all my shortcomings and protect me. In the future, you must meet someone like that."
She advised her son and took the coffee to leave. The kid sat motionless for a long time, silently looking at his mother's empty seat. Yeonjung looked at her impatiently, hesitated for a moment, then gently opened her mouth.
“Hurry up and eat.”
"Then, can I also do bad things too?”
Yeonjung stared down at the kid with surprised eyes.
"What did you say?"
"To determine if you love me, can I know if I do bad things?"
Instantly, her mind went blank. She panicked, but the habit of being careful with her words over the past month was still there, so she couldn't answer right away. She did not expect that the kid would immediately apply her mother's words to her. Ah, that's right, he's only 5 years old. It's true that children don't know anything.
“No, no. You don’t need to do that kind of confirmation. You don’t have to do anything bad. No, You shouldn’t do anything bad.”
“Why? Is it because you don’t love me that’s why I don't have to check it?”
No. Yeonjung vehemently shook her head. Turns out the kid thought so. She suddenly felt guilty for being so careless because of her usual taciturn adult appearance.
"Of course mother loves you. Because she's the one who gave birth to you. It's just that, mother is not feeling well right now, so she can't be with you, that's why she feels this way. Mother also wants to get well soon and be with my baby. She really loves me very much. Really."
A little gentle coaxing is just enough to avoid an unwanted situation. She thought this was enough since he was only a child, so she decided to just let it go. However, as soon as she faced the kid's black eyes, she immediately panicked and thought 'Oh my'.
The kid seemed to have seen through her heart. In an instant, shame rushed to his head. She had forgotten how smart this kid was, but once words were out of her mouth, she couldn't take them back. The boy also looked away from her and shook his head.
"No. Mom prefers to play with your friends. That's why I hate mom."
The kid's answer didn't sound like a child's inherent stubbornness. On the contrary, he is very calm, just like an adult, making Yeonjung's guilt even heavier. On the other hand, the kid was also pitiful. But what now, what should she say? Her mouth is not easy to open. She has always been so proud of her ability to handle situations with children, but now can't think of anything as a beginner.
Even though she knew she couldn't accept this kid's situation emotionally, she could hardly shake the pity. The kid sitting there with a determined expression made her worry even more. Therefore, she did not want to say any more clichés and stereotypes. For this reason, even if the other party is only a kid, she wants to tell her story.
Yeonjung looked around and then carefully knelt down on one knee in front of the kid. There are currently no employees in the restaurant other than her. Only this entangled tape recorder hanging from her neck, but now her emotions were ahead of reason. She wanted to comfort the kid sincerely.
“You probably hate your mom, but you still want her to love you, don’t you?”
The child hesitated and nodded. Yeonjung patted the child on the head.
“That’s because you love your mother. You know, you can still hate the person you love. That’s a fact. Even if you thought you loved them, you can still feel sad and hate them. To tell you the truth, Teacher also made a mistake just like your mother did. My husband was an Alpha like your father, I really liked that person."
Yeonjung tried to hold back something that was about to rise up her throat and smiled. However, right after that, her voice trembled slightly.
“I was always insecure. Every day I tried to find out what could prove that my husband loved me. Later, I found myself very unhappy because I did not believe in my husband's love for me. And, again convinced that the unhappiness was caused by my husband, in the end I developed a feeling of hate, really hate that person."’
“I hate mother, uh no, I don’t hate her.”
The kid shook his head and said he didn't, as if a little frightened. Witnessing a rare appearance like many other 5-year-olds, Yeonjung smiled.
"I know. Of course I know. You can’t hate your mother. Just how much you love your mother."
But the kid turned his head because he didn’t want to admit it. Yeonjung raised her hand only enough to touch the kid’s shoulder. The kid looked at her again, but insisted.
“I don’t like her.”
“Don’t conclude it like that. Emotions, especially the emotions of hate and hatred towards others, grow up very easily so you mustn't feed them. No, it's impossible to get rid of them, and..."
They eat herself up. Yeonjung stared into the air, remembering the time when she was completely swallowed up by those emotions.
"For a while, I was also not feeling well. However, when I recovered from the surgery, I was told that I’m unable to have a baby anymore. It was not my fault, but my weak body also affected my spirit. I became weak, I think it's all because of my incompetence, I'm afraid that the other person will not trust me anymore and the suspicion of the other person is also growing day by day, so I hate my husband more and more. I also believe that my husband no longer loves me, but at that time I did not know anything, because my body was weak, my spirit was also broken. After breaking up with my husband, I regained my health then I realised I made a mistake. Love needs trust. Not trusting the other side, but trusting yourself."
She didn't think the kid would understand the lamentations of the past she uttered so impulsively. Sure enough, the kid just kept his mouth shut, looked at Yeonjung and asked.
"Did the teacher become a recessive Omega?"
It seemed that the kid only understood the part that she could not bear children. Despite the slight choking that rose from that innocent question, Yeonjung still laughed lightly.
“You think so? But well, it doesn’t matter. Teacher is just a teacher. You’re just you who loves your mother, and you’re different from your mother. You don’t have to doubt and be anxious. No matter who you love later on, you just have to trust your love even if you have a problem because you love a recessive omega.”
It was still a difficult statement for a child to understand, she didn't think the kid would understand. Let's just say that she used this child as an excuse to express her feelings. The kid just turned around and ate the rest of the meal. It wasn't until a while later that Yeonjung regretted it because it wasn't really the right words to say to a child, but the other staff member had already entered the restaurant so she also stopped saying anything more. The hot mass hanging in the throat had gone down, just, the choking sensation remained throughout the day.
A week later, she was called by manager Hong.
"According to the Dominant Alpha education law, even if there is no custody of the children, the Dominant Alpha can still participate in the education of his children to be the Dominant Alpha. Therefore, the student's father has the right to receive all relevant documents related to student learning and daily living, as well as supplemental and alternative requirements."
The explanation she had heard was repeated. After the lengthy opening ended, manager Hong cleared his throat and added.
"The student's father checked the recorder and asked to replace the care teacher."
Although she had expected it, but she felt mixed feeling when she received the notice of her dismissal.
"Is it because of what I said about the student's mother?"
As she asked, she reflected on what she had said to the child at that time, and then hesitated. Because she comforted a 5-year-old child, she was swept up in her emotions and told her story. Yeonjung lowered her head, not daring to look directly at Chief Hong.
“Am I being too presumptuous?”
She asked to confirm, but manager Hong’s answer was unexpected.
"No. He thanked the teacher for that. The kid must have been very disappointed and surprised to hear his mother's answer, but you told your story and comforted the child very well. Especially, It was your personal experience that could have been hard to tell. He was very grateful for that”
She was embarrassed by the unexpected thank you.
“Did he (Sin’s father) really say that?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, why was I fired?”
That… Manager Hong turned his eyes slightly perplexed and replied expressionless.
“He was concerned that your saying that the one he loves could be a recessive omega might give the kid a false perception.”
–Ah. Yeonjung blinked her eyes with a blank face. It was something she never thought could be the reason. It was an inappropriate perception to say they can love recessive omega. The kid’s father was a person who understood and appreciated the explanation she gave to the kid, but at the same time was also tied too tightly to the dominant alpha's class consciousness.
“I apologize on behalf if it offended you."
"Oh, no. It's not what Chief Hong said either. It doesn't bother me either."
“Why?”
After asking, manager Hong quickly apologized because he thought it was rude.
“Ah no, you don’t have to answer it…..”
“It’s alright. It’s just, people do have so many different forms. I don't even have a close relationship with the other person so you can just let it slide.”
Yeonjung knows the boy's father is an excellent scholar and professor. Despite his cold disposition even when facing his children, that person is still a good father. However, it seems that the person's first priority is the dominant Alpha. Maybe even more than the child.
"The incident between you and your husband on the tape recorder will not be revealed."
Yeonjung woke up from her thoughts, looked at department head Hong and shook her head.
“It’s alright, I don’t care if people know that I divorced that person.”
“I’m glad you seem to have overcome it.”
“Rather than overcoming it, I just naturally fell out of affection when I realized that person was not worth to be loved that much.”
Manager Hong blinked and moved his lips slightly, but said nothing. Yeonjung explained with a smile because it was something to wonder why she lost her affection.
"He had an omega sex partner throughout his marriage to me. He's an asshole, isn't he."
“·····Ah.”
Even after loving such an asshole without knowing anything throughout the marriage, she still keeps it as good memories. Because that was her love. But as long as she thinks like that, she will never be able to escape the outside world and continue to torment herself for a long time. Now she knew her love was not at fault. That's enough. Realizing is enough. Yeonjung bowed her head, promising her heart that she would never pity herself again.
“Thank you for everything you've done for me.”
But she tried to swallow what she really wanted to say.
“I’m worried about the kid.”
Honestly, she didn't know why she was so worried. She knew there was nothing to worry about when the kid himself was a dominant Alpha with a good family and the wealth that anyone would envy but she wasn't reassured. She was worried that the kid, who looks quiet, calm,and mature, actually wanted to love more than anyone else and hid his longing. Just like a giant iceberg hidden under a child’s tiny body.
"I really hope his mother's health will recover."
Manager Hong stared at Yeonjung with eyes that seemed to be marveling at Yeonjung's sincerity. That's right, she's only been working here for a month and a half. Even so, Yeonjung was still concerned about the kid. She hopes the person who can give love and faith to the kid will appear.
To be Continued.
*In korean, it's written '부장', which can also means chief, head of department, manager department. I still cannot decide which one to use so for the time being I will use 'Manager' until I found the more suitable one.
*Pardon for the inconsistent use of 'kid' and 'son' to refer Kim Shin. I don't have time to recheck lol
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