Seungmin could sense that his parents were acting all fidgety since they were having their dinner. They keep on stealing glances but with a worried face showing. And when he asked if everything were all right, they would just say it's nothing and they're completely fine.
They are actually not.
His sister already went back to her home with Jisoo since tomorrow still has school and she has work to attend but they promised they would come back on weekend. Jisoo was excited to plan his sleepover in his uncle's room.
While they were resting in the living room with a movie played on the television, Seungmin took the opportunity to properly ask his parents about earlier he sensed. If it's really nothing, why they were still fidgety even after a while?
Seungmin slowed down the volume of the television and called his mom and dad. Both of them looked at him with a smile that seemed more guilty than worried.
"There is something wrong...Come on, tell me? What was it?" Seungmin had this worried face. It's really fine if there's really nothing. But if his parents faced anything that could be a danger for them, he should step in no matter what.
Both of his parents looked at each other before Mr. Kim started to talk.
"We actually-- Oh gosh, how do I even start this..." his father looked down and played with his fingers for a moment before he took a deep breath and looked at Seungmin again.
"We want you to get married--" that was the only thing out from his father's mouth.
Silence. Seungmin's eyes were looking straight into his parents' eyes, but his mind already went everywhere.
Married? Me? Now? Who wants to marry me? Why?
There were so many questions going into Seungmin's mind. The reason why this was brought up all of sudden, out of nowhere. He needed the answer.
"Seungmin...?" his mom called and Seungmin snapped himself back to their current conversation. His parents were waiting for him to respond.
Breathe Seungmin.
"Me? Getting married? Why? How?" he blurted the questions he was holding in his mind just now. Mr. Kim let out a sigh and cleared his throat before he looked at his son.
"Son, look, I'm so sorry. It was my fault. I-- I agreed with their conditions--"
"Wait, who is 'their' here?"
Another silence. But it doesn't last long as his mom answered. "The Lee's Group. They decided to help your dad's firm but in return, they want you to marry their alpha son. After they knew...we have you."
"Are you trying to sell your son?" it wasn't intentional, but Seungmin did raise his voice a bit. He's shocked, surprised, feeling betrayed. Why were they making this kind of decision without telling him first?
"No! Not in another life, Seungmin. We don't want, we don't even have that in our mind, to sell you off. That never crossed our minds. We love you so much. But you know what is currently happening with your dad's firm. It needed support, and the director from Lee's Group decided to help since he and your dad were old acquaintances..." his mom's answer was trailed after telling him those reasons.
"Seungmin, listen--"
"Is it because I am an omega? That's why you want to marry me off? Because omega couldn't live alone without their alpha no matter how long they postponed their marriage?" Seungmin was on the verge of crying, but he was holding hard the tears from leaving his eyes.
It's always like this. Ever since he was younger. When they got his medical report on his second gender. He was indeed a tad bit weaker than any of his other peers who were betas and alphas. He was sent to an all-omega school during his secondary education where they were taught everything about what an omega should be.
Omegas shouldn't live by themselves. Omegas should be dependent on their partners, no matter they are betas or alphas. Omegas this. Omegas that. It was hard for him to even enroll in university, but he was glad he managed to enter one of the universities he applied to. It was hard because omegas usually stopped pursuing their study after high school. It's always this kind of discrimination Seungmin needed to face since that.
It's tiring him. He wants to be independent. He could depend on himself. He wants to be free, living his dream.
"No...Please Seungmin, don't think like that." Mr. Kim tried to hold his hand, but he softly pushed them away. Tears already dropping and he quickly wiped it away. A sob left his throat. He didn't expect himself to cry but he did.
His parents were stunned, and his mom quickly sat beside him and hugged his body tightly, rubbing his back trying to calm himself down. It took him a few minutes to calm down.
He needs to think about it. He indeed has a dream, but he also wants his parents to be happy. But what about his happiness? For now, he needs to be alone to sort out his mind.
He loosened his mom's hug and looked at both of his parents' faces with his puffy eyes. They're still shocked and guilty. He cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away. Let me think about it first. It's just too much for me."
"You know, I could just tell Director Lee that we want to cancel the agreement--"
"Dad, don't do that...yet. I-- I just need some time to think. Don't throw your firm away like that because of me, okay?" Seungmin wiped the remaining tears stained on his cheeks and gave his parents a reassuring smile.
Seungmin told his mom and dad that he needed to head to his room and be alone. He wants to think about it.
It was hard but what else he could do other than accept their proposal? Sooner or later, he needs to find a spouse too.
He rested his whole body on his bed, taking a few pillows to make a nest around his body. Hugging one against his chest, one to support his back, two to support his head. He closed his eyes, trying to sleep.
He could do the thinking thing tomorrow morning.
.
"Changbin, where's my car's keys?" Minho asked his personal assistant to which was answered with a questioning look from Changbin.
"You won't take the driver with you, hyung?" the younger asked and Minho just shook his head. His hand was shoved in front of Changbin's face, asking for the key. Changbin hurriedly reached the keys out from his pocket and gave them to Minho. Minho took them and entered the black metallic Audi A6 that Changbin already parked in front of the company.
He inserted the key into the ignition and started it before he pulls down the window to see Changbin was still there. "You can go home for today. Rest well and thank you." and with that, the car sped swiftly on the road.
It took Minho less than thirty minutes to arrive at his family's mansion up on a private hill near Seoul. The guards opened the gate after they recognized his car. He was welcomed with the usual view of his mother's garden filled with several types of flowers from all over the world. Carefully parked his car. Minho then made his way to the main door where his mother already waited for him on one of the sofas there while reading a book.
"Oh, Minho? You're here!" his mother stopped her reading and quickly approached her son. She hugged Minho tightly and Minho hugged his mother back.
"How was Russia?" she loosened her arms around Minho and both of them walked into the house, heading to the dining room for their lunch.
"It's fine, I guess? I love the view there. Maybe you should go there next time." both of them sat in front of each other and started to eat their lunch.
They were exchanging stories and talking about everything and anything while having their lunch until Minho brought up the reason why his mother called him earlier.
"So, what's the occasion? Is there anything that happened?" Minho just finished his meal and looked at his mother. She was smiling from ear to ear which made Minho more curious to know what his mother wanted to tell him.
"How old are you this year?"
Minho was totally amused by his mother's question. I think I know where this would be going. But okay, let's see how his mother would want to approach it this time. Two years ago, his mother asked about did he felt lonely to live alone in the apartment, but he just answered he already had Soonie, Doongie, and Dori. It's not that lonely. And two years prior to that, she's been asking if Minho was seeing someone.
"I'm turning thirty this year, I think...Why mother?"
"Don't you think you need to be quick?" Minho gave his mother a questioning look and she let out a sigh.
"Minho, I'm asking you to get married. You're reaching thirty, and you need to have at least an heir, don't you think?"
It's you who wanted an heir, not me. But it's impossible to blurt those out.
"Mother, I don't want to get married--"
"Then what? Why do you despise marriage so badly? You're not getting younger, sweetheart. And you're an--"
"That I am an alpha? Then what? Do I need to breed another omega just to fulfill your wish?" those words slipped out Minho's lips.
As if he just realized what he said, Minho pinched the bridge of his nose and looked into his mother's shocked face.
"I'm sorry mother, I--"
"Minho, you're my only son. Our only son. We just wanted the best for you..." there were tears rolling down his mother's cheeks and that made Minho feel a wave of guilt hit him. He quickly got up from his seat and crouched down next to his mother's chair, softly holding his mother's hand, and wiping off the tears from his mother's face.
"I know." he softly replied, almost whispering those words.
He knew. His whole path of life was already decided once the whole family knew the result for his second gender. His grandparents were so happy to know their only grandchild is a dominant alpha. He was sent to a prestigious all-alpha school since that, sent to the best college for his career, living the life that was narrated by his family.
Never once, he gets the chance to decide his own decision. Even his marriage.
"Minho," his mother's soft voice was calling for him and he looked into her face. "It's your grandfather's wish, maybe his last wish...He wanted to see your wedding..."
His grandfather was sick since he started his career at the company. That's also one of the reasons why he was assigned to his current post earlier than expected since his father need to fill in his grandfather's post and he needed to fill in his father's.
Minho looked down and let out a sigh. He had to agree...right?
"Alright, mother. I'll do it."
.
little glossary:
alpha - the highest hierarchy in the omegaverse universe. It could be male or female alpha. able to impregnate omegas.
beta - the middle hierarchy in the omegaverse universe. It could be male or female beta. they are the most normal human kind in this universe. only female beta could pregnant.
omega - the lowest hierarchy. they went into heat and can get pregnant. Both male and female omegas can pregnant.