(Jihwa's POV)
I stood there on the street, frozen, watching Dohyun's back disappear into the dark. My chest sank like a stone in water.
Did I push too hard? Did I make him uncomfortable? I only wanted him to be happy… to see that his life didn't have to be so heavy. But instead of smiling, he ran.
"Idiot," I muttered to myself, though I didn't know if I meant him or me.
The cold followed me all the way home. By the time I closed the door to my room, I couldn't even remember the walk back. Everything felt numb.
It was the same as always. The silence. The weight. Ever since the park incident, Dad had barely looked at me. His disappointment was like a shadow — always there, even when I tried to pretend it wasn't.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of two fathers who wouldn't talk to me and who made my dad suffer. One by choice, one by force. And now Dohyun… who I couldn't even figure out.
For the first time in a long while, I felt tears spill over. Quiet, helpless. I pressed my palms to my face, but it didn't stop.
That's when I heard the door open.
I sat up, wiping at my eyes quickly, only to freeze. My dad stood there, his expression softer than I'd seen in months. Before I could say anything, he crossed the room and pulled me into a hug.
I went stiff with shock. He hadn't touched me since—since that day. Since he thought I'd betrayed him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice rough. "I should've… I shouldn't have ignored you."
The dam inside me broke. I clutched his shirt, sobs spilling out before I could stop them. "Dad… I-I thought you hated me."
"I could never hate you," he said firmly, holding me tighter. "I was just… hurt. Confused. But ignoring you—" His voice cracked. "That was my mistake."
I buried my face against his chest, crying harder. I'd forgotten what it felt like — to be held like this, to be comforted instead of pushed away.
And all I could think was how strange life was. I spent all night chasing someone else's smile, and in the end, it was my dad's arms that reminded me I wasn't completely alone.
Still, somewhere deep down, Dohyun's empty eyes haunted me.
I held onto Dad's shirt, my voice raw. "I hate it, Dad. I hate being a beta. I hate that no matter what I do, it's never enough. People look at me like I'm weaker, like I'll always be second place."
He didn't say anything at first, just stroked the back of my head like he used to when I was small. That silence made me ache even more, so I kept going.
"I thought maybe… maybe if I could make someone else happy, it wouldn't matter. If I could make them smile, then I'd matter too. But I can't even do that. I tried and tried, and he—" I froze. The word slipped out before I realized.
Dad's hand paused. "…He?"
Panic slid through me. My lips trembled, but once I'd started, I couldn't stop. "I met someone. He never smiles, Dad. Never. His eyes are so empty, like… like he's already given up. I wanted to change that. I wanted him to laugh, just once. I thought if I could do that, then maybe I wouldn't feel so useless."
I bit down hard on my lip. My chest hurt like it was splitting in two.
Dad leaned back, looking at me — not angry, not judgmental. Just… curious. And soft. "And?" he asked gently. "What happened?"
"He ran away," I whispered, my hands tightening into fists. "He left. Just like that. I must've messed everything up. I always mess everything up."
A long silence. My tears dripped onto the floor between us.
Then Dad sighed, wrapping his arms around me again. "Oh, my son… Don't you see? The fact that you even care about someone else's pain — that's what makes you strong. Betas, alphas, omegas… none of that matters when it comes to heart. And you have more heart than anyone I know."
"But what if… what if I'm not enough for him?" My voice cracked. "What if I can't save him?"
Dad's chest rose and fell beneath my cheek. His voice was steady, unshakable. "Then don't save him. Just stay. Sometimes presence is louder than any rescue. And maybe… maybe what he needs isn't saving, but someone who refuses to give up on him."
His words sank into me, heavy and warm. For the first time, I didn't feel like a weak beta, or a disappointment. I felt like maybe — just maybe — I had something only I could give.
I closed my eyes, holding on to him like he was the only anchor I had left. But even then, in the quiet of my father's arms, Dohyun's face burned in my mind.
And I knew I couldn't let him disappear.
Dad stroked my back until my sobs dulled into shaky breaths. I thought he'd let me go, but instead, his voice came low, thoughtful, almost like he was speaking to himself.
"Jihwa… this boy, Dohyun. You care about him, don't you?"
My throat tightened. My hands gripped at his shirt. "I… I don't know. I just—" My voice cracked. "I can't stand seeing him like that, Dad. He looks so empty. Like he's already given up on living. It's like he doesn't even know what happiness is."
Dad tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to meet his eyes even though mine were red and swollen. "Then don't give up on him. Bring him here."
I blinked at him in shock. "…Here?"
"Yes." Dad's voice was steady now, gentle but firm. "If he has no place to feel safe, then let our home be that place. I'll give him a warm welcome. A meal. A smile. Something he might not even remember receiving." His thumb brushed the side of my cheek as he studied me. "Maybe he'll like it. Maybe it'll remind him that the world isn't only cruel."
The words hit me like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. My lip trembled. "Dad… you'd really do that?"
He gave me a faint smile, soft and tired. "For you, son. And for him. No one should be left to drown alone."
Tears blurred my vision again, but this time, they weren't just heavy. They burned with something new — relief, hope.
I bit down on my lip, whispering, "I thought… you were angry at me. That you hated me for being with them. That maybe… maybe you didn't want me anymore."
Dad's expression softened painfully, like I'd stabbed him in the chest. "Oh, Jihwa… I was angry. But not at you. At myself. At life. At how easily I thought I'd lost you. I was childish. I thought silence would teach you how much it hurt me, but all I did was hurt you more."
I clutched at him tighter, my voice breaking. "I felt so alone, Dad. First you… and now Dohyun. It's like everyone leaves me. I just keep failing."
He pulled me closer, pressing my forehead to his chest. "No. You're not failing, Jihwa. You're just… carrying too much. And you don't have to carry it alone anymore."
My tears spilled freely now. "…But what if he rejects me again? What if he pushes me away? I don't know if I can take that."
Dad cupped my face with both hands, steadying me. His voice was quiet but firm, like a vow. "He may resist. He may push you away. But if your heart is true, he'll feel it. You said he's empty — then show him what it means to be full. Don't stop trying, son. Not if you believe in him."
My chest tightened. The image of Dohyun's blank, distant eyes flashed in my mind. How they softened, just for a second, when he looked at me. How he almost smiled.
I leaned into Dad's hands, fresh tears slipping down my cheeks. "I'll try. I'll keep trying, even if he hates me for it. Because I… I just want him to know he's not alone."
Dad smiled sadly, pulling me into another embrace. "That's my boy. Stubborn as always." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head — something he hadn't done in years. "Bring him here, Jihwa. Let him see there's still kindness in this world. Let him feel at home… even if it's just for a night."
I buried myself against him, clutching his shirt like I was ten again. For the first time in days, the cold emptiness inside me felt just a little warmer.
For once, I didn't feel like a failure.
For once, I felt like I had something I could do.
I would find Dohyun.
And this time, I wouldn't let him slip away.
"Hey dad, is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes actually." He came close and whispered something in my ear. "Introduce me to Minji. I want to steal your father's wife as he stole my happiness. "